Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Self Insert
by Melody of the Storm
Summary: Completed! Kate Cooper is just your average teen...that is, until she gets a medallion that looks strangely like the one in CotBP...In the blink of an eye, Kate is sent into a the world of Pirates, ready to begin the adventure of a lifetime! Jack x OC
1. Wear it Well

I know people are getting tired of reading self-inserts, but this was too good to resist. If you have no interest, leave now.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean. Any OC's and original places that appear throughout the story belong to me.

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"Norrington!"

"Beckett!"

"Norrington!"

"Beckett!"

"Norr –"

Kate poked her head into the room where her brothers slept. "What are you guys going on about now?"

Jeff and Ross looked up from their argument. "Hey, Kate, who would win in a swordfight?" Jeff asked her. "Norrington or Beckett?"

"It's Norrington!" Ross insisted. "He's like six feet tall, and Beckett's a shortie!"

Jeff sighed. "Height isn't the only thing that matters, Ross. Beckett's the most intelligent and calculating guy in the whole trilogy. There's no way Norrington can win."

Ross smirked. "Yeah, but Norrington didn't have breakdown right in the middle of his ship getting destroyed."

"There was a good reason for that! The _Dutch_ –"

"Okay, okay, I get the point!" Kate shouted, throwing her hands exaggeratedly into the air. Jeff and Ross looked at her, waiting for her answer. Kate thought for a moment. "Brawn and brains are equally important in a swordfight," she murmured, remembering what her fencing instructor had taught her. She smiled at Ross. "But yeah, Norrington could just like pick Beckett up and throw him halfway across the room. Definitely Norrington."

Ross's face broke out in a grin. "Oh yeah, baby! IN YOUR FACE!" he shouted, pointing a finger at Jeff.

Jeff glared at his younger sister. "Oh, what do you know? You're still in high school!"

Kate pouted playfully. "Hey! Remember who's bringing in the money, brother dear!" As both her parents were dead and her brothers were at college, it was Kate's job to be the source of household income.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Jeff grumbled. He glared at Ross, who was doing what was supposed to be a victory dance. "Will you knock it off, already?!"

Ross stuck his tongue out at his older brother. "I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request!" he shot back. Jeff growled and threw a pillow at him.

Kate laughed and strolled into the living room, where the title screen for _Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl_ was shown on the TV. Kate grabbed the remote, plopped down on the miniscule couch, and pressed Play.

Kate was seventeen years old, and had been living in her brothers' apartment in California since their parents died three years before. She was tall for her age, but not nearly as tall as Jeff and Ross. Her dark red hair was usually tied back in a ponytail, but today she had let it hang down past her shoulders. Several light-brown freckles were sprinkled below her bright green eyes, giving her a cute, preppy five-year-old look. Big mistake; Kate was a tomboy to the highest degree.

Like her brothers before her, Kate had developed a nearly mindless obsession with all three _Pirates of the Caribbean _movies and anything remotely related to them. In fact, the main reason Kate took fencing lessons was to be more pirate-like (although, she didn't have nearly enough time on her hands to practice three hours a day). She loved the sea, and would often stand at the edge of the nearby beach, letting the water flow over her bare feet and seeing in her mind's eye an enormous, black-sailed pirate ship. At World's End had only been out in theatres for two weeks, and yet she had seen it five times, almost twice as much as both her brothers combined – a fact that upset them greatly. Having those movies around was a big factor in helping her deal with her grief about her parents.

About halfway through the movie, Ross walked through the front door, several envelopes in his head. "Hey," he greeted, sitting down next to her.

Kate reluctantly tore her eyes away from the TV. "Did you learn teleportation powers or something?"

"Huh?"

"How did you get outside?"

"I walked out the door ten minutes ago. I clearly said, 'I'm going to go to get the mail.' It's not my fault if you were too focused on the island scene to pay attention."

"Hey, you know as well as I do that the island scene has the most comedic situations in a row in the entire –"

"Okay, you guys, that's enough," Jeff interrupted, coming in from the kitchen. "What'd we get?"

"Uh…let's see," Ross muttered, sifting through the envelopes. "We got a phone bill…that's for you," he added, tossing it to Jeff. "Um…apparently I'm qualified to enter a sweepstakes for ten million dollars…"

Kate snorted. "Those things are rigged. There's no use entering."

"Might as well give it shot, we need the money. What else…oh, here's one for you, Kate. Hmm…it's a little heavy." He handed his sister an envelope.

Kate looked the envelope over. "Huh…that's funny."

"What?" Jeff asked.

"There's no return address, see?"

Jeff looked over Kate's shoulder. "Oh, yeah…wonder how it got delivered, then."

"Go on, open it," Ross encouraged her.

Kate slowly ripped open the envelope. She caught her breath as she pulled out the contents: a long, black cord tied around a gold piece – a gold piece with a grinning skull in the center.

"Oh, my God," Kate breathed. "It looks just like a piece of Aztec gold!" She slid her thumb over the cool, rough surface. The skull seemed to be laughing at her.

"Here, let me see," Jeff said, holding out his hand. Kate obediently dropped the medallion into his hand. Jeff held it up by the cord, examining it at eye-level. "Sure looks like Aztec gold." He bounced the coin on his palm a couple times, and then handed it back to Kate. "That thing's way too heavy to be plastic. It's the real deal, all right."

Kate stared at the coin for a long time. "Think I should put it on?" she asked finally.

"No way!" Ross replied, shaking his head. "What if it really _is _cursed? There's no way in hell I'm having a starved, parched, lustful skeleton running around my apartment!"

"First of all, it's _my_ apartment, Ross," Jeff said calmly. "Second, don't be an idiot. The only way someone is subjected to the curse is if they themselves actually pull it out of the chest…if it were an actual piece of Aztec gold," he corrected quickly.

Kate sighed softly. "You're right…I mean, just _looks_ like a Piratesprop, doesn't mean that it's nothing more than an _extremely_ valuable souvenir." And with that, she slipped the medallion over her head. She shivered slightly; she could still feel the cold metal through the thin layer of her T-shirt.

Ross poked the coin. "It's all good!" he announced. "And it really suits you."

"You think so?" Kate said, looking at the medallion.

"As if anything were gonna happen anyway," Jeff muttered, but he looked relieved.

Kate fingered the coin. It glinted softly, reflecting the light of the TV. _But…where did it come from?_ she thought. Her eyes fell onto the envelope. Carefully, she picked it up and turned it upside down. A small piece of paper fluttered to the floor. Kate looked at her brothers, then at the coin, and down at the paper. Bending over, she picked it up and began to read.

**To Katherine Cooper:**

**I have had this medallion for a very long time.** **Destiny now brings it into your own hands. Wear it well, and never give up hope. I shall you soon.**

_**C**_

Kate looked up, mystified. "That's it," she said softly.

"C?" Ross echoed. "Who the heck is C?"

"No clue."

"Search me."

Kate looked back down at the note. _Wear it well_…_Destiny now brings it into your own hands…what the heck does this mean, anyway?_ Kate looked back at the TV screen, needing some familiarity.

* * *

Kate woke with a start. Sitting up in bed, she tried to remember the dream she'd just had. She wasn't sure, but she thought she saw herself in there, and a man, and a ship…Kate looked at the clock. 11:57.

Now wide awake, Kate stood up and put on her bathrobe, shivering in the cold; Jeff had left the air conditioning on again. As she passed her nightstand, she stopped suddenly and looked back. Her medallion was lying silently on the nightstand, looking for all the world like an ordinary necklace. _But it IS ordinary, _Kate reassured herself. But still, Kate could not shake the feeling that something was going on…something that definitely wasn't normal.

_Wear it well…_

Without a moment's hesitation, Kate grabbed the medallion and slipped it over her head once more. She held the coin in one hand, staring at the grinning skull. "What are you laughing at?" she growled, but of course, there was no reply. Kate sighed and looked once more at the clock. As 11:59 melted into midnight, the tiny bedroom was suddenly thrown into sharp relief – the coin had begun shimmering with a soft, golden light.

Kate gasped and looked around the room. No lights were on…this was the coin, all right. _But coins can't light up!_, she protested. _What's happening? _Scarcely daring to breathe, Kate raised her cupped hands to her face, eyes wide. Now the light was growing brighter, and brighter…and she swore she heard a voice, a voice she heard every time she watched the first scene of _Curse of the Black Pearl_: "Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate's life for me…"

And then it felt as though a bolt of lightning had struck her, and she was falling down, down…

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Okay, before you guys yell at me, let me remind you that this is my first story. If this chapter wasn't so good, don't worry. _Things will get better_.

Leave a review, please!


	2. Arrival in Port Royal

Okay, this chapter is all ready to be put up, but no one's reviewing. Maybe this chapter will do the trick!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean. Any OC's and original places that appear throughout the story belong to me.

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**(Kate's POV)**

It seemed like I had had this dark, empty feeling forever when I heard a voice. "Hey…hey, uh, miss? Are you alright?"

I moaned softly and struggled to open my eyes. At first, everything was blurry, but then a middle-aged, balding man slid into focus. He looked to be wearing a dirty white shirt, dark gray pants, and a maroon apron. He was hovering by a doorway, looking worried. When he saw me awake, he took several hesitant steps toward me. "Are you alright?" he asked again. He spoke with a British accent.

"Yeah, I…I think," I answered hoarsely. I slowly rotated my shoulders, ankles, and neck, and wiggled my fingers and toes. I was sore all over, but nothing appeared to be broken. But…this doesn't look like the apartment. I appeared to be lying on a small bed. I was in a small, almost empty room with dark brown, wooden walls. There was a small dresser opposite from the bed, and an even smaller table next to it. A mirror was hung next to the bed. Sunlight streamed through the single window. It was open, so I could hear men shouting and animals barking, neighing, and bleating.

I turned back to the man. "Uh, not to be rude, but where am I and how did I get here?"

The man rubbed the back of his neck with a rather pale-looking hand. "Well, I'm not exactly sure m'self. You see, this morning I saw you lying out in the middle o' the street. I tried wakin' you up, but nothin' worked. So, I brought you back here. This is the Seaside Arms Inn, by the way," he added quickly. "My inn. I'm John Sherman. You can just call me John. So, uh…how'd you get knocked out?"

I shrugged. "No idea." I stood up and walked somewhat unsteadily over to the window. John had had the right idea in naming his inn – we appeared to be right by the docks. From there, I could see men loading and unloading cargo onto small ships. I couldn't see any larger ships – they must be at another part of the docks. I leaned forward to get a closer look at the turquoise-colored water, and a light, salty breeze blew gently across my face.

John handed me a small cup of water. "Here, drink this," he urged. It was only just then I realized how parched I was. I took a big gulp and asked, "So, what town am I in, anyway?"

"Oh, right, forgive me. You're in Port Royal."

Oh, okay. Now maybe I can get directions back…_WHAT_!?!? Whatever water I had in my mouth was immediately either spat out or swallowed into my windpipe.

"Easy, easy!" John said with an alarmed look on his face. He thumped me on the back. I coughed a couple more times, and then asked, "_Where_ did you say I was?"

John frowned. "Uh…Port Royal. You know, in Jamaica? Weatherby Swann's our governor? Any o' this ringin' a bell?"

I took several deep breaths and turned away from John. This NOT really happening, it's just some crazy dream, don't get your hopes up, Kate, this isn't really happening…

But then I realized exactly what I was looking at.

I took a few steps closer to the mirror and examined myself. Okay, for the record, I have _never_ seen any of these clothes before…at least, not on me. I was wearing a light purple, almost lavender blouse that strangely complimented both my upper body and my red hair. Over the blouse, I had on a tight-looking black vest. Oh wait, hang on…I recognize the pants. They looked like a plain pair of jeans, or at least something made of denim. Instead of a belt, a long black sash was tied around my waist. Black boots covered my feet. My hair, thankfully, was in its regular style: tied up in a ponytail, with bangs framing my face. I stepped even closer to the mirror and saw one more article of clothing I had missed. It was the Aztec gold medallion.

Maybe this isn't a dream…

I felt a warm breeze blow over me again as I sat down on the bed. Okay…you can't feel things in dreams. And I can feel the breeze, and I drank the water, and I feel the medallion against my skin…

The medallion.

Oh, _shit_.

"Miss? Is something wrong?" John asked, taking a step towards me.

Get it together, Kate…after all, this isn't a bad thing. You're in _Pirates of the Caribbean_! You are about to come face to face with Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, and James Norrington! You have the capability to sail across the Caribbean for adventure and treasure! You're in the place you've always wanted to be; about to do the things you've always wanted to do! _How can this be a bad thing_?

I looked up at John and grinned, not needing to fake it. "No, John," I answered truthfully. "Nothing's wrong. Nothing it all."

He sighed in relief. "That's good. Oh, by the way –" He pointed to the table. "I found that next to you while you were out in the road. Is it yours?"

Feeling some of my initial euphoria wear off, I walked slowly over to the table. I caught my breath. Even from far off, I recognized the shining silver hilt of a sword. _A sword_…Carefully, I picked up the cutlass and removed it from its black sheath. The hilt felt cool and welcoming in my hands. From what I knew about cutlasses from my fencing lessons, the blade was well-balanced and just the right length. Engraved directly on the blade, right in the middle, was a sort of insignia…no…initials. The initials _KC_. Breathing hard, I turned the blade over. The initials were on the other side, too.

I gently pressed my hand against the insignia. "Yeah," I said finally. "Yeah, this is my sword." I sheathed it and tucked it into my sash.

John nodded approvingly. "Handsome blade. O' course, you can't really take my word for it…is it a Brown creation?"

I raised an eyebrow, but then I remembered the drunken blacksmith. I smiled and replied, "No. This was made by…uh…the blacksmith from my town."

John nodded, but he was starting to look suspicious. "I don't quite recognize your accent. Where did you say you were from?"

Oh, crap. "Oh, uh, you know…up north…" I waved my hand vaguely. John still looked suspicious, so I added, "I'm Kate Cooper. Thanks for looking after me."

John visibly relaxed. I guess he figured that if I was some sort of pirate, he'd have heard of me. "Oh, no trouble at all, Miss Cooper. No trouble at all. Glad you're feeling better. So, will you be needing a place to stay tonight?"

I walked back to the window, wondering if I could spot anyone I knew. "I'm not sure. But, if I do, you'll be hearing from me." John grinned and walked out with a quick "good-bye."

I smiled and gently touched the coin around my neck. "I don't know how you did this or what you mean by it," I whispered, "but I'm sure glad you did." The skull seemed to be grinning wider than ever.

A woman's voice suddenly drifted through the window. "Come now, Charlie! We mustn't be late for the Captain's promotion ceremony!"

The Captain's promotion ceremony…An early scene from _Curse of the Black Pearl _ran through my head.

"_Actually…I had hoped you would wear it to the ceremony."_

"_Ceremony?"_

"_Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony."_

"_I knew it!"_

"Commodore_ Norrington, as we're to call him."_

Okay…so that means I must've landed in the first movie. And if the ceremony's about to start…my heart skipped a beat. Jack must already be in town. I leaned so far out the window, it was a wonder I didn't fall out. Sure enough, I saw a something small and thin sticking up out of the water by one of the piers. Even from this distance, I recognized the mast and sail of Anamaria's boat.

Oh, this was going to be _awesome_.

I darted across the room, opened the door, and ran down a flight of wooden stairs into what appeared to be the lobby. Ocean-related artifacts were hung all over the walls, and a picture of an enormous ship hung over the desk. John sat behind the desk, reading.

He looked up as I raced by. "Where're you going, Kate?"

I turned back to him, my mind suddenly blank. "Oh, I…uh…I just remembered, I had to go…meet somebody at the docks?" Oh, real nice, Kate. That's SURE to work.

John turned back to his book. "Well, remember what I said about needing a place to stay. You might want to come back by dark. The soldiers like to prowl around the streets from dusk till dawn, and you might be mistaken for a troublemaker."

My jaw dropped. That actually worked?! Either I have no faith in myself, or John's a couple fries short of a Happy Meal. I'm going to go with the latter. I shook myself slightly and replied, "I'll keep that in mind. See you later." Without waiting for him to answer, I pushed open the door and stepped out onto the cobblestone street.

There was barely anyone here, now; everyone must be at Norrington's promotion ceremony. The docks were active, however; workers buzzed about on every pier, loading assorted merchandise onto cargo ships.

I stepped onto the docks, looking around for anybody I recognized. After about two minutes, I spotted the harbormaster and his slave, their backs facing me. I took a step towards them, and then stopped suddenly. What am I thinking? I can't just go up and ask them where "Mr. Smith" went! What are they supposed to think, that I'm just strolling around town in the middle of a busy day? I'm seventeen! Seventeen-year-old girls were supposed to be married back then, and had to keep house and look after kids, not go wandering all over town! And my clothes…it was so completely obvious that I was, if not a pirate, then a sailor. And of course, that would be, as these folks would say, _highly improper_. I could risk being thrown in jail, or maybe even hanging!

…You know what? It would _so _be worth it. Captain Jack Sparrow is just that hot.

"Excuse me!" I called, waving my hand and hurrying towards the harbormaster. "Excuse me, sir? Could you give me a hand, here?"

The harbormaster looked at me over his shoulder at me. "Yes, yes. What can I do for you –" He frowned and turned to face me. He slowly looked me over, taking in my overly casual and (to him) untraditional appearance. "…miss?" he finished, somewhat skeptically.

I cleared my throat, suddenly inspired. "Well, sir," I began in my shyest and most pitiful voice, "I'm not quite familiar with the layout of this town…I'm a traveler, you see, and I'm a little overwhelmed…everything seems so different here!" Humph, ain't that the truth.

The harbormaster's face immediately softened; apparently he was glad to know I was simply foreign rather than barbaric. "I understand," he said soothingly. "Being in an entirely new place can be quite nerve-wracking. What is it that you need?"

I took a deep breath and smiled even more shyly. "I was wondering…I was supposed to meet someone here at the docks. He was coming in on a small boat, you see. He should have been here by now…I've looked everywhere, but I haven't seen him!"

I felt the heat rise into my cheeks. This was so humiliating! For some reason, Scarlett and Giselle popped into my head, and I shuddered slightly. The slave boy looked like he was trying not to laugh, as though he knew what I was thinking.

The harbormaster, however, opened his registry and began flipping through the pages. "Hmm…" he said softly. "These are only a small section of the docks, but if he came in a smaller boat…" He looked up at me. "What is your friend's name, miss?"

I felt my face freeze up. Oh, crap. "He…he calls himself Smith, sir. Not quite sure of his first name."

The harbormaster's eyes flashed with understanding. "Ah, yes," he replied. "Well, I do happen to have a man named Smith written in here. He arrived here only a few minutes before yourself, and was headed down to…oh, I'd say our other section of the docks." He pointed his quill pen to the east, away from the Seaside Arms Inn and following the length of the main docks. "Just travel along the docks here until you reach a stone bridge. Cross it, and you'll see two of our Navy ships: the _Dauntless _and the _Interceptor_. Your friend may be around there."

I grinned broadly, barely believing my good luck. "Thank you very much, sir!" I said breathlessly, curtsying clumsily.

"Not at all, miss, not at all," he said kindly. "Enjoy your stay here in Port Royal." He tipped his hat to me, then strode off to confront a sailor about paying the docking fee. I waited till I was sure he wasn't looking, and then raced off the pier, stifling a laugh. Looks like a sucker really _is_ born every minute…even if they were born three-hundred years ago.

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Can someone review this time? Please? 


	3. CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow

Special thanks to all those who reviewed!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean. Any OC's and original places that appear throughout the story belong to me. Jack's prior dealings with the EITC were found on Wikipedia.

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After about five minutes of walking, I began to recognize where I was. This is the route Jack had taken to escape the Navy – or at least, he tried. Yes, there was the blacksmith's. Will's in there, I thought with a small smile. Oh, don't get me wrong – Will's cute, but I go for looks _and_ personality every time. Thinking of Jack, I sped up, jogging over the stone bridge, stopping only to glance at the large, imposing ship moored in the nearby harbor. I couldn't see the name printed on the side, but I knew it was the _Interceptor_…which meant Jack, Murtogg, and Mullroy were close by.

I continued walking until I reached a small wooden ramp heading downwards to the docks (for they were at sea level, which is about ten feet below the street). I remembered this ramp; Jack had gone down it right before –

"This dock is off-limits to civilians."

I jumped about a mile in the air. Sure enough, two red-coated marines barred the passage to the _Interceptor_, their guns pointing to a tall man in a dark coat and tri-cornered hat…

I felt my heart skip a beat. Captain Jack Sparrow was standing ten feet away from me!

I leaned against the roped side of the ramp, smiling. He was taller than I expected, and stood somewhat unsteadily, as though drunk. His back was to me, but I knew every move he made, every facial expression, by heart. I sighed softly and felt a blush creep into my cheeks. He's so hot.

"I'm terribly sorry, I didn't know," Jack said to the guards, smiling slightly. "If I see one, I shall inform you immediately." He made to move past them, but they moved in between him and the dock yet again.

I chuckled softly and leaned farther out. Suddenly, I was broken out of my thoughts by a slightly elastic snapping sound. I frowned slightly and looked down at the rope. My eyes widened in horror. It was breaking! I scrambled backwards, but it was too late; the rope snapped cleanly in two, and I stood on the ramp for a long second, waving my arms around, trying to find my balance. And then I felt nothing but air under my feet and I saw the ground rushing up to meet me.

"AAAAH!"

I felt my body slam against the dock, and pain jolted up my arms as I caught myself. Oh my God, I can _not _believe I just did that. What's gotten into me?

I lay on the dock, cursing myself, the rope, and Jack. I suddenly heard footsteps, and felt relentlessly cold metal through the back of my blouse. Groaning softly, I lifted my head and propped myself up on my elbows. Murtogg and Mullroy had their guns pointed at me, staring at me incredulously. Murtogg had been poking me with his bayonet. I looked around, and spotted Jack standing a little ways off. His hand had reached into his coat – most likely to pull out a weapon of some sort – and he was looking at me with a strange, unreadable expression on his face. Our eyes locked for a brief moment, and I felt as though I was being sucked out of my own body…into those dark brown eyes…I groaned again and lowered my head onto the dock's wooden surface, feeling light-headed.

Oh. I guess _that's_ what's gotten into me. Bloody pirate.

I sighed softly and pulled myself up into a sitting position. I clenched my teeth as my right leg began to burn with pain. Augh…I must've agitated the old scar… "Damn it!" I swore softly. "No good…f---ing…leg…"

_Thud_! Murtogg was so surprised, he lost his grip on his gun and it fell to the ground. Mullroy scrambled several steps backwards, his face very pale. I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You said…_you _said…" Murtogg sputtered.

Oh, yeah. If girls are supposed to be married in their teens and can't go outside without a bonnet, covered ankles, or a corset, then I guess they can't swear either. "Uh, sorry," I said weakly, feeling my face turn even redder. "Kind of, uh…a force of habit. Ahem…my bad." I stole a quick glance at Jack. He looked like he was trying very hard not to burst out laughing.

Mullroy seemed to have remembered that I just fell ten feet from the ramp. "Are you all right, Miss…?"

"Cooper," I answered, hoisting myself to my feet. "Kate Cooper. And yes, I'm okay. Bloody rope…" Murtogg and Mullroy winced again, and this time, Jack could not hold back a snort of laughter. I glowered at them. "Oh, get over it, you two. I think falling from a ramp onto a wet dock and re-injuring my leg is cause for foul language."

Jack walked over to stand beside Murtogg and Mullroy, his eyes twinkling. "Well, there you are gents. There's your civilian. And now, I must be off –" Once again, he tried to make his way onto the dock, and once again, he was blocked.

I opened my mouth in mock horror. "Civilian?" I asked jokingly, putting a hand over my heart. "Why, I'm hurt! How could you think that an unkempt, foul-mouthed rogue such as I could possibly have been raised in this high-strung, textbook-case town?"

Murtogg and Mullroy glanced at each other, apparently relieved that I was simply the new girl in town, rather than an uncivilized barbarian. "So, what were you doing up there, anyway?" Mullroy asked, raising his gun and eyeing me suspiciously. Murtogg dove for his gun, got to his feet, and did the same.

My smile faded. Busted. "Oh, me? I was…I –"

"Well, I think it is rather obvious what she was doing," Jack interrupted, maneuvering around the guards to stand in front of me. I held his gaze, struggling to keep my breathing and heart rate normal. Jack looked at me for a long moment, and then spun on his heel to face the guards. "Miss Cooper here is a sailor – a lover of the sea and adventure. And the reason she was standing up there on that ramp is because she is waiting for a soon-to-be-arriving ship to pull into this harbor, on which she has bartered passage off of this island." The lie came easily and flowingly from his lips. He looked over his shoulder at me. "Isn't that right?"

I stared at him, my mouth wide open. I quickly shook myself and replied, "Y-yeah, that's it. Waiting for a…ship."

Jack grinned and faced me. "Thought so. Now, perhaps you can tell me the _name_ of said vessel, and these fine gentlemen can –" He suddenly broke off, staring at me curiously. His wide, brown eyes suddenly dropped to my chest. I had only enough to blush crimson before Jack said softly, "That coin…where did you…?"

I looked down at the medallion, instantly sobered. "Oh…this?" I asked, my voice a mixture of fear and disappointment. Of course he'd been looking at the medallion! It's Aztec gold! From his perspective, it's the final piece of gold needed to break the curse on his former crew! STOP BEING AN IDIOT!! "I…it was…I mean, I –"

"All right, that's enough!" Mullroy said in his most commanding voice (which, admittedly, wasn't very commanding at all). "Both of you, off this dock immediately! You're not allowed here, so get back on that street and be on your way!" I shot him a glare, and he wilted. "Er…please?"

I rolled my eyes, but before I could say anything, Jack recovered from his shock and proceeded to weasel his way out of the current mess he was in. "Apparently there's some sort of high-strung and fancy to-do up at the fort, eh? How could it be that two upstanding gentlemen such as yourselves did not merit an invitation?" It was now my turn to stifle a laugh.

Murtogg and Mullroy exchanged a glance, caught off guard. "Someone has to make sure this dock stays off-limits to civilians," Murtogg answered nervously, his face turning a bit red.

"A fine goal to be sure," Jack admitted, winking at me, causing me to have a mild heart attack. "But it seems to me," Jack continued, "That a ship like _that_ –" Jack walked away from the guards, who hastened to block his path again, and pointed at the _Dauntless_. "– makes this one here seem a bit superfluous, really."

"Oh, the _Dauntless_ is the power in these waters, true enough," Murtogg replied, glad for the change of subject, "but there's no ship that can match the _Interceptor_ for speed."

"In the Navy," I added.

Murtogg and Mullroy stared at me. "What?" they said together.

I shrugged. "There's no ship that can match the _Interceptor_ for speed _in the Navy_. I've heard of, and seen, some pretty fast ships in my day. They're not in the Navy, and they're way faster than this little boat."

"All right, then," Mullroy challenged. "If you've heard of so many ships, let's hear their names." He sneered, thinking he had me cornered.

"I've heard of one," Jack interrupted again. "It's supposed to be very fast, nigh uncatchable…the _Black Pearl_." Ooooh, that is SO much cooler to hear in real life.

Mullroy started laughing, but before he and Murtogg could launch into their argument, I cut in loudly, "Actually, that's one of the ships I've heard of. Beautiful ship. Nearly as big as the _Dauntless_ and twice as fast the _Interceptor_. Of course, the reason for that may be because…" I drew out the last syllable, smirking.

"Because why?" Murtogg questioned me, his eyes bright. He looked like a little kid being read his favorite story.

I snickered. "You've _never_ heard of the legend of the _Black Pearl_?" They shook their heads. Jack stared at me with interest. "Well then," I said, folding my arms over my chest. "I guess I'll just have to tell you." Wikipedia, don't fail me now!

"The _Black Pearl_ wasn't always named the _Black Pearl_. She was originally christened the _Wicked Wench_. She flew under the colors of the East India Trading Company, and her captain was a man named…" I paused, and I felt my eyes travel to Jack. He stared back, that same intrigued look on his face. "…Jack Sparrow."

Murtogg and Mullroy gasped. "You mean…the pirate?" Murtogg whispered.

"Oh, yeah," I answered, nodding. "The pirate. But, he wasn't always a pirate. He worked for Cutler Beckett, the man in charge of the EITC. Jack was a pretty good worker, an excellent sailor, and an all-around good guy. That is, until Beckett asked him to carry a certain cargo – slaves." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jack clench his fist, and his eyes darken. "Now, Jack was – however much he'll deny it – a good man. A very good man. So, when he heard he had to ferry innocent people to a lifetime of servitude, he put his foot down!" I stomped on the dock for emphasis. Murtogg and Mullroy jumped. I chuckled and continued. "So, Jack Sparrow set out on his ship with the cargo as planned…but, he didn't go where he was ordered. He sailed to Africa and set all the slaves free."

"Did he get away with it?" Mullroy asked.

I shook my head. "Nope. You see, Beckett practically controls the entire ocean –" Damn heart!!! "– so he figured it out pretty quickly. And if there's one thing Beckett hates, it's people betraying the natural order; he's right, everyone else is wrong." Jack nodded, smiling slightly. "Jack was stripped of title and rank, branded a pirate, and forced to watch as his beloved ship was shot down to the bottom of the ocean.

"Now here's where the legend gets tricky. Some say the goddess Calypso raised the _Wicked Wench_. Others say that Jack made a deal with Davy Jones." Jack winced slightly. "And still others say only simple manpower raised the ship. However it happened, the _Wicked Wench _rose out of the ocean's depths, with sails as black as midnight. It was rechristened the _Black Pearl_, and Jack Sparrow decided to put that brand to good use, if catch my drift." I winked. "And that's the story."

Jack's eyes were as wide as dinner plates. "Where did you…how do you…?"

"That's ridiculous!" Mullroy interrupted. "It's only a legend. There's no _real_ ship that can match the _Interceptor_!"

This time, I decided to let the movie take its course. "_Black Pearl_ is a real ship," Murtogg argued.

"No. No it's not," Mullroy said firmly.

"Yes, it is. I've seen it."

"_You've_ seen it?"

"Yes."

"You haven't seen it!"

"Yes, I have!" Jack and I simultaneously rolled our eyes.

"You've seen a ship with black sails, that's crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil, that hell itself spat him back out?" I pantomimed eating an apple and leered at Jack, who had to clamp his hand tightly over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. I grinned proudly – he apparently found this so funny, he forgot to ask me how I knew about Barbossa.

"No," Murtogg admitted.

"No." Mullroy looked at us pointedly. Jack gave him a small smile, but I rolled my eyes again.

"But I have seen a ship with black sails," Murtogg told his partner. Jack tapped my shoulder and pointed to the _Interceptor_. I grinned and nodded, and we crept aboard. Jack immediately took his place at the helm, while I leaned against the edge of the railing, staring out to sea. Even from here, I could still hear Murtogg and Mullroy's argument.

"Oh," Mullroy said in mock surprise. "And _no_ ship that's crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil that hell itself spat him back out could _possibly _have black sails, therefore couldn't _possibly_ be any other ship than the _Black Pearl_! Is that what you're saying?"

Murtogg smiled. "No."

Mullroy grinned smugly at his partner. "Like I said, there's no _real_ ship that can match the _Intercep_ –" I laughed. Man, those guys are dumb.

"Hey!" Murtogg shouted, jumping aboard the _Interceptor_. "You! Get away from there!" I sighed and climbed up to the helm to stand beside Jack.

"You don't have permission to be aboard there, mates!" Mullroy told us, climbing up after Murtogg. They raised their guns.

I sighed. "I don't really see anyone that's stopping us, gentlemen."

Jack put a hand on my shoulder and gave me a warning look. "I'm sorry," he said to the guards. "It's just…it's such a pretty boat. Ship," he corrected immediately. I rolled my eyes yet again.

"What's your name?" Murtogg asked Jack suspiciously.

"Smith," Jack answered easily. "Or –"

"Or Smithy, if you like," I said for him. Everyone looked at me curiously. I frowned quizzically. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

"What's your purpose in Port Royal, _Mr. Smith_?" Mullroy asked, turning back to Jack.

"Yeah, and no lies!" Murtogg added angrily.

Jack took his hand off my shoulder. "Well, then. I confess." He took a few steps closer to the guards, who stepped backwards nervously. "It is my intention to commandeer one of these ships, pick up a crew in Tortuga, raid, pillage, plunder, and otherwise pilfer my weasely black guts out."

I laughed. "Came up with that one pretty quickly, didn't you?" Jack smiled at me mischievously.

Murtogg's jaw dropped. "I said no lies!"

"I think he was telling the truth," Mullroy whispered.

"If he was telling the truth he wouldn't have told us," Murtogg said exasperatedly.

"Unless of course you wouldn't believe the truth, even if he told it to you," Jack pointed out.

"Oh, this just gets better and better by the second!" I whispered excitedly.

* * *

A much longer chapter is on the way, along with our other main characters! Leave a review on your way out! 


	4. Kate vs Norrington, Part 1

Thanks to all those who reviewed! The updates should be getting a little less frequent, as my comuter's broken and I have to use my laptop. Typing on that thing takes FOREVER! Thank you for your patience!

Disclaimer: I do not own PotC or any of its characters. Anything that wasn't in the movie most likely belongs to me.

* * *

While Jack stalled Murtogg and Mullroy with a story about one of his past adventures, I returned to my spot against the railing and fingered the coin. The golden surface glinted in the afternoon sunlight, and the coin felt cool against my skin, even in the hot Caribbean climate. I raised the coin up to eye level and stared unblinkingly at it. What exactly was it? Where had it come from? Why was it sent to me? And, most importantly, had whoever sent it to me known what it could do? 

I sighed and looked out to the horizon, my arms instinctively wrapped around myself. I had always been interested in the supernatural, but this was just way too confusing…if I knew just one thing about this medallion…

I shook myself slightly and pressed my hands against the railing. Oh, what's there to be worried about? Not only am I in Jamaica, I've been transported into the dimension that holds the realm of my favorite movie of all time! Captain Jack Sparrow is no more than fifteen feet away, regaling us with one of his great adventures! There's no need to worry about marines or other pirates – I'd been taking fencing lessons for years. As for transportation, I just may be able to _persuade_ Jack into letting me join his crew. This was every _Pirates_ fan's dream! What could possibly happen?

Uh…nobody answer that.

I smiled and began humming "A Pirate's Life for Me" as I stared down at the waves. The water looked cool and clear, much more refreshing than even the waters of California. I suddenly longed to feel the waves lapping against my skin. Hopefully there'll be time later to go swimming…

Wait a minute. Jack on the _Dauntless_…story about him being made chief… Norrington proposing to Elizabeth…

Oh, yeah. Elizabeth falling off the cliff to her apparent doom. I knew that.

My eyes scanned the stone fortress, clearly visible from the _Dauntless_. Faint strains of music could be heard from the top of the cliff. Squinting, I saw two small dots standing close to the cliff's edge – Elizabeth and Norrington. Even as I watched, the white dot shuddered slightly and dove off the cliff, speeding towards the rocks below.

Oh, snap. Bitch overboard.

I sighed and raced back to the helm. As much as I hate Elizabeth, the movie won't progress without her. Once I climbed back up the stairs, I tapped Jack's shoulder. "Hate to interrupt, but we have a slight problem," I said, pointing to the cliff.

Jack ignored me and continued with his story. "And then they made me their chief," he told the guards, who were staring at him with wide eyes. I rolled my eyes and kept my eyes on Elizabeth as she dropped into the water below.

_SPLASH!_

Jack, Murtogg, and Mullroy jumped and raced to the railing. "What was that?" Murtogg asked me, his face pale.

I turned to him. "That was your governor's daughter suffocating due to her tightly-fit corset, passing out, and falling off a fifty-foot cliff into the ocean." Once again, all eyes were on me. The silence was broken only by Norrington's panicked yell. "_ELIZABETH!"_

"Will you be saving her, then?" Jack asked finally.

I gave him a long look, and then sighed heavily. "Only for you," I answered resignedly, pulling my cutlass out of my sash.

Jack grinned and turned to Mullroy, whose eyes became very wide. "I can't swim!" he protested. Jack frowned and turned to Murtogg, but he shook his head. I stared at them in disbelief. What kind of marine doesn't know how to swim?

Jack apparently had the same views. "Pride of the King's Navy, you are," he grumbled, pulling off his coat and removing his effects. "Do _not _lose these," he ordered Murtogg and Mullroy, shoving his things at them. I tossed my sword at Murtogg, and together, Jack and I jumped off the _Dauntless_ and into the cool Caribbean Sea.

The water was colder than I expected, and I momentarily froze, shivering from the shock. Jack swam past me, and I followed, warming up quickly from swimming. Through the salty haze, I could see Elizabeth drop gently onto the seafloor.

We were nearly there when I felt a wave of energy push me backwards. I clamped my hand over my mouth, but it was too late; my mouth had already opened in a gasp. Water poured into my mouth and down to my lungs. I coughed, but only more water came in. Choking and sputtering, I swam frantically for the surface. The distance took forever to cross, and my vision was beginning to darken. _No…NO! This can't be it! It can't be!_ I gritted my teeth, and with one last kick, my head shot above the surface.

Cool, sweet air flooded into my burning lungs, so much that it felt like white-hot knives were ripping into my chest with every breath. I doubled over, hacking and gasping, spitting out what must have been a gallon of sea water. Taking slow, deep breaths, I placed a hand to my quickly-beating heart, only to pull it away again. "Ouch!" I gasped. The medallion was burning hot! I looked down at the coin – once again, it was glowing with a soft golden light, but as my breathing began to steady, the light slowly started to fade.

A cold gust of wind blew over the surface of the water, tossing my bangs around my head. I clamped my hand over my hair and stared up at the darkening sky. A storm? On such a nice day? I looked down at my medallion. The coin had stopped glowing now, and was quietly lying against my chest. I stared up into the clouds again, squinting against the wind. So it must have been Elizabeth's medallion that set off the pulse, and the storm…which meant only one thing. Barbossa was on his way.

I took a deep breath and ducked beneath the surface once more. Jack had nearly made it to where Elizabeth had fallen. I swam up to them and grabbed Elizabeth's left arm, pulling her off the seafloor. Jack grabbed her other arm, and we swam slowly up towards the surface. We resurfaced, but were instantly pulled back under. Elizabeth was too heavy! I desperately tried to keep my head above the surface, swallowing seawater yet again in my struggle. "She's too – _cough_ – heavy!" I yelled to Jack. "We have to – _gasp_ – cut off her – _cough_ – skirt!"

For the longest moment, he did not answer, and I couldn't see him. Had he been dragged under? But through my struggles to stay above the surface, I heard Jack call out to me, "Let go!" I propelled myself backwards, taking deep gulps of air, as Jack and Elizabeth began to sink. I looked down at the medallion. Even through the murky water, I could see it glowing slightly. As though it knew it was being watched, the coin immediately stopped glowing. That's funny…it had been glowing before, too, and not while I was being transported here…it was when I could barely breathe… I placed my hand over my heart; it was beating only a little faster than usual, and my breathing was calm. The coin had returned to its normal state as well.

The medallion…could it tell when my life was in danger? Was it glowing to let someone that I couldn't breathe? Or did it just glow every few minutes, and I had never noticed it?

I was jerked out of my thoughts by a loud splashing sound. Jack had resurfaced yet again, supporting Elizabeth. Her outer skirt was sinking back down to the ocean's depths.

I grinned and swum over to Jack. "You okay?" I called over the wind, pulling Elizabeth's arm over my shoulders.

"Oh, I'm just wonderful," Jack answered sarcastically. "You?"

I shrugged. "I've been better." I looked back at the _Dauntless_. Murtogg and Mullroy were standing on the docks waving at us frantically. Without a word, Jack and I swam towards them, struggling slightly under Elizabeth's weight. The swim to the docks seemed to last an eternity. Every painful second reminded me how long it had been since Elizabeth had last taken a breath. Hey, I may hate her, but she didn't do anything wrong yet. She can live through the second movie before I run her through.

Once we reached the docks, Jack and I lifted Elizabeth up onto the wooden surface. "Ooh, I got her!" Mullroy said loudly, grabbing Elizabeth and placing her on the docks. I planted my hands into the pier and hoisted myself onto the deck, shaking. My muscles screamed with pain, and I felt light-headed. I sighed softly and stared down at Elizabeth. She didn't even know who I was, and she was already causing hell for me.

Mullroy knelt down beside her and looked her over. "Not breathing!" he reported frantically.

"Move!" Jack ordered and dropped to his knees. I stared at him as he pulled out his dagger – I hadn't even noticed him come ashore. Some fangirl I was. I felt my face reddening as Jack sliced open her corset. Lucky bitch.

Elizabeth's eyes snapped open and she took a huge gasp. She started coughing, but she didn't take another breath. Her hands grasped her throat, and she coughed louder. Oh, God…is she choking?! "Move over!" I ordered Jack. Without giving him a second glance, I rolled Elizabeth onto her stomach and hit her back as hard as I could. Water spewed out of Elizabeth's mouth as she took a deep breath…well, more like a wheeze, but she's still taking in oxygen, right?

I let out the breath I'd been holding. "Don't hyperventilate," I told her, pushing her on her back. "You'll pass out again." Elizabeth nodded, her face pale and her eyes wide. Satisfied, I stood up and wrung out my sopping ponytail.

Mullroy turned admiring eyes to Jack. "I never would've thought o' that."

Jack was unimpressed by the flattery. "Clearly, you've never been to Singapore," he answered nonchalantly. Okay, that was perverted. I glowered at Jack, who winced visibly. "Ah…sorry, luv." I nodded and went back to drying out my hair. I felt myself blush yet again. He's too hot to stay mad at.

Murtogg turned to me. I couldn't help but giggle; he was gingerly holding Elizabeth's corset and his face was blood-red. "How'd you know to do that?" he asked.

I raised an eyebrow. "What? Hit her back?" Murtogg nodded. I shrugged, feeling embarrassed. "First-Aid and…medicine and stuff is pretty good to know where I'm from."

Jack looked up at me. "Quite impressive. Perhaps when we have time, you could –" He stopped suddenly. He had finally noticed Elizabeth's medallion. "Where did you get that?" he whispered. Elizabeth was either too afraid or too oxygen-deprived to answer. I bent down and stared at her medallion, and then at mine. The coins looked exactly alike, but I doubted mine had the same curse…out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jack glance at my medallion, too.

Before I could even lift my head, footsteps thundered down the pier and a gun was pointed in my face. I looked up to see the Royal Navy staring back at me, with the newly promoted Commodore in the lead. Oh, goody. I am going to _love _messing with him.

Norrington drew his sword and pointed it in Jack's face. "On your feet," he ordered, his eyes burning with hatred. Jack noticed this as well and immediately stood up, pushing away the blade. Norrington pointed his sword at me. "You. Over there." He gestured with his sword, just in case I didn't understand. I reached for my own cutlass…only it wasn't there. I had given it to Murtogg and Mullroy.

I looked down at my hip, and then back at Norrington. I smiled weakly. "Um…there's supposed to be a sword there." A couple marines laughed mockingly. Norrington, however looked less than amused. He once again pointed his sword over to Jack, and then back to me; this time, I was only too happy to comply. I walked over to Jack, struggling to keep my dignity. I saw the corner of Jack's mouth turn up slightly, and I frowned at him.

Governor Swann rushed over to his daughter and helped her to her feet. "Elizabeth! Are you all right?" He wrapped a blanket around her.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," Elizabeth waved him off. She looked over to where Jack and I were standing, her brow furrowed in confusion.

Governor Swann looked over to Murtogg. Murtogg immediately dropped the corset and pointed to Jack. Jack looked at the governor innocently. I rolled my eyes.

Governor Swann glared at Jack. "Shoot him! Shoot them both!" he added as an afterthought, taking in my appearance.

My jaw dropped. "Wha…me? What did I do?"

"_Father_!" Elizabeth protested. "Commodore, do you really intend to kill my rescuers?"

Norrington hesitated, but lowered his sword. The other marines hastily followed suit. I smiled gratefully at Elizabeth and Jack pressed his hands together and bowed slightly. Elizabeth didn't even look at us.

Norrington stuck out his hand. "I believe thanks are in order." Jack stared at it suspiciously. I cleared my throat and opened my mouth, but Norrington glared at me, silently letting me know what would happen if I spoke. I glared back but said nothing. Jack, oblivious to our nonverbal death threats, took Norrington's hand cautiously. Before he could pull it back, Norrington tightened his fingers and pulled Jack's sleeve up slightly. A P-shaped burn was easily seen against Jack's skin.

Norrington smirked triumphantly. "Had a brush with the East India Trading Company, did we? _Pirate_?" Jack winced.

"You don't know the half of it," I muttered, an image of Beckett popping into my head.

The governor tightened his arms around Elizabeth. "Hang him!"

"Keep your guns on him, men!" Norrington told his troops. "Gillette, fetch some irons!" Gillette darted off, eager to obey. Norrington pulled back Jack's sleeve again, revealing the image of a bird flying over the sunset (or sunrise. Can't really tell the difference). "Well, well," he said, surprised. "Jack Sparrow, isn't it?"

"Captain," I corrected automatically. Norrington looked at me.

Jack smiled slightly. "_Captain_ Jack Sparrow, if you please, sir," he clarified.

Norrington exaggeratedly looked around the docks. "Well, I don't see your ship, _Captain_."

"I'm in the market, as it were," Jack corrected.

"He said he'd come to commandeer one," Murtogg piped up.

"Told you he was telling the truth," Mullroy grumbled. "These are his, sir!" He stepped forward, holding Jack's things. I craned my neck, and sure enough, I saw my sword wrapped up in the pile.

Norrington picked up Jack's pistol and examined it. "No additional shot, nor powder…" He replaced the pistol and moved onto the compass. "…a compass that doesn't point North…" He smiled sarcastically at Jack, who avoided his gaze. Norrington then pulled Jack's cutlass slightly out of its sheath. His smirk widened. "…and I half expected it to be made of wood." Jack smiled slightly at the joke. "You are without doubt the _worst_ pirate I've ever heard of," Norrington announced finally.

This time, Jack's smile was genuine. "But you _have_ heard of me."

Norrington rolled his eyes and picked up my sword. "I assume that this sword also belongs to you, Sparrow?"

"Actually, it's mine," I said before Jack could answer. "And I'd thank you to give it back."

Norrington ignored me and unsheathed my cutlass. "Handsome blade," he said thoughtfully. "Entirely improper for it to be in the hands of a woman…" I clenched my fists. "…And how did you come procure this?"

"Personally, I don't think that's any of your business, Norrington."

Norrington was so surprised, he released his hold on my sword and sheath, and they fell to the ground with a clatter. In one lightning-fast motion, I picked it up, sheathed it, and tucked it into my sash. I looked back at Norrington to see him staring at me curiously. "I don't recall my name ever being mentioned," he said softly. My smile disappeared. Dammit. "You are a citizen of Port Royal, then?" Norrington went on to ask.

I stifled a laugh. "Well sir, if I was a civilian, then I wouldn't be on this dock, according to the peanut gallery over there." I gestured to Murtogg and Mullroy.

"Then you are a traveler?"

"Sailor, actually." I corrected.

Norrington frowned suspiciously, but he couldn't check for the brand; my blouse had short sleeves, and he would have noticed it already had it been there. "Hmm," he said thoughtfully. "At least I cannot blame your savage appearance on our city."

"Savage?" I said angrily. Norrington smiled expectantly. _Easy, Kate, he wants to get you mad. He wants you to insult him so he can throw you in jail…_I took a deep breath, feeling my temper cool. "Isn't against some sort of gentleman's conduct to insult a woman?"

"Oh, I believe that only applies to women with any ounce of propriety," Norrington countered.

This time, I laughed openly. "_Propriety_? Dude, I don't know about you, but I think propriety is a huge waste of time. It's much easier and _much _more fun to think outside the box and _not_ play by the rules."

"I see," Norrington replied. "So is it piracy, then?" His smirk grew, if possible, even wider. "Or simple prostitution?"

Oh, _no he didn't_.

"PROSTITUTION?!" I shouted, forgetting to stay calm. I drew my sword and pointed it at his throat. "YOU SON OF A BITCH! YOU ARE _SO_ GONNA GET YOURS!"

Yeah. Needless to say, I don't appreciate the stereotype of females in this time period.

Before I could do no more than raise my sword, two marines broke rank, grabbed my arms and forced them behind me. My cutlass fell to the deck. "Let go!" I shouted, struggling to break free, but the soldiers only held on tighter.

Norrington chuckled and turned to Governor Swann. "As you can see, sir, any sort of criminal behavior in Port Royal will not be –" It was here that I decided that if I was going to be hung, I needed to perform a crime. And this was, as Jack would say, the opportune moment; Norrington's back was to me, and his guard had been let down. Without stopping to think of the consequences, I kicked Norrington in the back as hard as I could.

_THUD_!

Norrington crumpled to the deck, and all at once there was chaos. Governor Swann and all of the marines rushed forward to help him up, including the two that held me. I retrieved my sword and scrambled backwards from the sea of red. Jack and Elizabeth joined me. Jack looked half-surprised, half-impressed, while Elizabeth just looked horrified.

"Why…why did you do that?" she whispered.

I snorted with laughter. "You know you would've done the same thing." Elizabeth said nothing, but a slow smile crept onto her face.

Jack grinned and clapped my shoulder. "I'm beginning to like you, luv. You definitely have what it takes to be a pirate!" He paused. "Or a madwoman. Whichever would be right at the time."

I inclined my head. "Much obliged, Captain."

Suddenly, about fifty guns were pointed in our faces at once, the two marines grabbed me again, and Elizabeth rushed back to her father. Norrington was on his feet and looking thunderous. "Why you little –"

"Sir?"

Everyone jumped about a mile in the air. Gillette had returned, looking confused. "I, uh, I have the…" He gestured to the handcuffs he was holding by his side.

Norrington's face immediately lost its color. "Ah, very good, Gillette." He grabbed Jack's arm and shoved him over to be cuffed. "Once you're finished with him, go and get another pair." He shot me a glare, and I sneered at him. Spaz.

Elizabeth stepped forward to stand in front of Norrington. "Commodore, I really must protest!"

Norrington ignored her. "Carefully, Lieutenant!" he warned Gillette.

Elizabeth tried again. "Pirate or not, this man saved my life!"

Norrington didn't even blink. "One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness."

"Though it seems enough to condemn him," Jack added.

"Indeed."

Elizabeth wasn't finished yet. "This girl doesn't have the brand! She's committed no crime!"

Norrington stared at her. "Miss Swann, she just injured me while my back was turned! It was improper and dishonorable to the highest degree!"

"Oh, don't be such a pansy," I grumbled, rolling my eyes.

"She will be hung tomorrow for assaulting an officer of the Royal Navy," Norrington continued in a icy voice.

My smile disappeared. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! _Hanging_? Isn't that a little harsh? I mean, come on – I warned you that you were gonna get yours, and you kind of _deserved_ it, so –"

"That's enough!" Norrington shouted, turning to face me. "I'm not sure where you learned your manners, _if any_, but if I hear one more sound out of you, so help me, I'll –"

Norrington was interrupted by the click of the handcuffs. "Finally," Jack grumbled, and swung his arms over Elizabeth's head, pressing the chain against her throat. There was a collective gasp, and the marines pointed their guns at Jack.

"No! No! Don't shoot!" the governor shouted frantically.

Jack smiled slyly. "I knew you'd warm up to me," he whispered dangerously. I grinned and shook my head. This so beats TV. Jack shot me triumphant look before saying in a more serious voice, "Commodore Norrington, my effects, please. And my hat!"

"Can't forget the hat," I reminded him.

Norrington welcomed the distraction. "Didn't I tell you –"

"Commodore!" Jack interrupted, tightening the cuffs around Elizabeth's neck slightly. Norrington hesitated, but took Jack's things from Mullroy.

"Oh, and one more thing," Jack said thoughtfully. "If your men could release my young associate, there…" The marines immediately let go. I smiled smugly and nodded at Jack.

"Elizabeth…It is Elizabeth isn't it?" Jack asked his captive casually.

"It's Miss Swann!" she corrected bitingly.

"Miss Swann if you'd be so kind…come, come, dear, we don't have all day." Elizabeth took the effects from Norrington, scowling. Jack spun her around. "Now if you'd be very kind…" Elizabeth's scowl deepened as she reluctantly put Jack's various effects back in their proper places. When Elizabeth placed her arms around him, Jack shot a haughty grin at Norrington, who rolled his eyes and looked away. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Damn you, Sparrabeth, just damn you.

I kept my eyes closed until I heard Jack say, "Easy on the goods, darling."

Elizabeth fastened Jack's compass into his belt. "You're despicable," she hissed.

"Sticks and stones, luv. I saved you're life, you saved mine. We're square." Jack swung her back around and awkwardly pointed his pistol at her. "Gentlemen…m'lady…lad_ies_…" he corrected, glancing at me. "You will always remember this as the day you _almost _caught…Captain…Jack…Sparrow!" With that, he shoved Elizabeth at Norrington and launched his oh-so-awesome escape plan. I took advantage of the momentary confusion by retrieving my sword and diving back off the dock.

As soon as I hit the water, I was on the move, swimming as fast as I could toward shore. The medallion floated in front of my eyes, the skeleton leering devilishly at me. I pulled it away and swam faster. After about three minutes, I scrambled awkwardly onto shore, losing my breath yet again, and raced down the street as Jack swung from the pulley system. He landed a few feet from me and caught up to me, the sound of gunshots on his heels. "Would you mind terribly if I joined you on your run from the law?" he asked me, breathing heavily.

"Not at all, mate!" I answered. "This may not be the best time for this…but that was without a doubt the coolest escape I've ever had the privilege of seeing…at, least, that I've seen in person!"

"Why, thank you!" Jack replied. "Though admittedly, luv, I've had much more cunning escape plans than that. One time, I was surrounded on all sides by members of the East –"

He broke off as a shot hit the dirt a few feet from where I was standing. I couldn't help but let out a little scream. "How 'bout you tell me this later?" I shouted above the gunfire.

"Good plan!" Jack answered, and we both ran faster, in what I remembered was the direction of the blacksmith's shop, and the home of the first major swordfight. Now, if only I could outrun those marines…

* * *


	5. Fire and Swords

Thanks to all those who reviewed!, and thanks again for your patience!

Disclaimer: I do not own PotC or any of its characters. Anything that wasn't in the movie most likely belongs to me.

* * *

"This is all great fun, luv," Jack said after a minute, ducking to avoid a shot, "but don't you think it's high time we found somewhere to hide like the cowardly little weasels we are?"

"Speak for yourself!" I shot back, scanning the street ahead. At last, I spotted the blacksmith's shop. "Over here!" I pulled Jack behind a statue of a man wielding a rusty sword. I ducked behind the statue and pressed myself against the side of the shop, panting. Jack was on my heels, peering around the side of the statue to get a better look. "Jack, get down!" I hissed. He jumped slightly and moved over next to me. And not a moment too soon; within seconds, what must have been the entire Royal Navy flocked into the narrow street.

The temptation to look must have been too great for our dear Captain, as Jack leaned forward and looked beneath the statue's outstretched arm, gripping the sword hilt for balance. Suddenly, he fell backwards, holding onto the hilt; the blade was apparently rustier than I thought, as it had completely disintegrated at Jack's touch. I gave him a look. "Nice." Jack ignored me, pulled out his own sword, and slipped it into the statue's hand. I winced – that noise could've been heard in Davy Jones' Locker. From what I could see, none of the marines had noticed the change in weaponry, thank God. Do any intelligent beings get drafted into the military?

Jack slowly got to his feet and took his sword back from the statue. "Follow me," he whispered, tugging on my arm slightly. I stood up, fearing the marines could hear my every move, and Jack pulled me into the blacksmith's shop. It was not until he closed the door that I let out the breath I'd been holding.

The blacksmith's shop looked messier than it had on camera. Tools and half-finished projects littered the tables, and weapons of all sorts lined the walls. Swords hung, as well, from the enormous gear system overhead. The mule blinked at us curiously from where it was tied up. A fire crackled cheerily in the fireplace. The whole place had a warm, earthy smell about it.

Jack moved cautiously over to a nearby table. He removed his hat, placed it on top of a tool rack, and began examining one of the hammers. I sat down on a couple large sacks and started stroking the mule, who nuzzled my hand in response.

A soft thudding sound made us jump. As expected, Mr. Brown was sitting in the chair by the fireplace, drunk as hell. The thud had come from a dropped whiskey bottle.

I went back to cuddling the mule. "Relax, Jack, he's out cold. He could sleep through a hurricane."

"There's really no way to tell, luv," Jack responded, and crept over to the blacksmith. He prodded Mr. Brown's shoulder a few times. Mr. Brown stirred but did not wake up. Still unsatisfied, Jack pretended to turn away, but then spun around and yelled, "WHOA!" Still nothing.

"What'd I tell you?" I asked smugly. "He's sleeping like a baby."

"Wonderful perception, luv," Jack complimented, wandering back over to the table. He suddenly looked suspicious. "How'd you know he wouldn't wake up?"

I felt my hand involuntarily jump to my collarbone. "Uh…lucky guess?"

Jack picked up the hammer again and laid his handcuff chain across an anvil. He immediately tried one-handedly smashing the chain in half. "Oh – really?" he said between the clang of the hammer. "Because – it seems like – you didn't – have to – guess at all – for your – story earlier."

Not good. Very, _very _not good. "Uhhh…shouldn't we be focusing on getting you out of those cuffs?"

"Oh, yes. Excellent idea. I do wonder how you come with them." Jack dropped the hammer and shook the cuffs helplessly. "Now would you care to follow your own advice and get me out?!"

I stood up, relieved that Jack had been distracted so easily. "I'd love to, but you've the wrong idea." I walked over to Jack and picked up the hammer. "This is way too obvious for someone of your caliber. You need to think of something _worthy_ of Captain Jack Sparrow." I toyed with the idea of putting the hammer back in its proper place, but ended up laying it down on the anvil surface. "For example," I continued, gesturing up at the gear system. "If you were to hook the chain into one of those big gears and somehow get that mule moving, then the whole the whole system would start up and the other big gear will successfully crush the handcuff chain, thereby setting you free. So, what do you think? Pretty sweet, huh?"

Jack looked up at the gears, then at the mule, then at the cuffs, and finally at me. A slow smile spread over his face. "How long have you been a pirate, luv?"

"I never said I was a –"

"Because _that_, under the circumstances, is quite possibly the best plan that could be done with such limited amounts of time and resources." His face suddenly fell. "Why didn't _I _think of that?"

I laughed. "If anybody asks, you did. You're the big bad pirate captain, and I'm nothing more than an almost-innocent bystander. Now get over there and hook yourself into those gears."

Chuckling, Jack looped the handcuff chain through one of the larger gears. "Are you quite certain you haven't done this before?"

I smiled slyly at him. "Maybe a bit." Oh, God, I love this movie.

Turning away from Jack, I walked back over to the mule. "Okay, big guy, let's get moving." The mule didn't move. I pulled sharply on the mule's harness, but it dug its hooves in and pulled back. "Jeez, you're almost as stubborn as your master," I groaned, crossing my arms and glaring at the unresponsive mule.

"I have an idea," Jack said, smiling. He unhooked the chain, swaggered over to the fireplace, and pulled out a red-hot poker.

My scowl deepened. "Jack, we are _not _performing any acts of animal cruelty. We need to set an example for all the younger viewers out there."

…oops.

Jack, however, ignored me and made his way over to the mule, brandishing the poker like a sword and smirking. I had only time to move out of the way before the poker made contact with the mule's back end. Its eyes bulged and he rushed forward, struggling against its burden and braying loud enough to break the sound barrier.

And then suddenly a stab of pain shot up my leg and I sank to the floor, biting back a scream. I opened my eyes wide, but the blacksmith's shop had disappeared, and all I could see were flames leaping up around me, burning up the sides of the house, and I was crying and screaming for my parents, for Jeff and Ross, for anyone, and a huge burning beam of wood was falling from the roof…coming nearer with every second…

"Kate! _Kate_! KATE!"

I looked up sharply and felt tears sliding down my cheeks. The vision of flames was gone, and the blacksmith's had reappeared once again. Jack was leaning over me with one hand on my shoulder, his eyes wide with barely disguised worry. "Are you alright?" he asked, kneeling down beside me.

I took a deep, shuddering breath and wiped away my tears. "Yeah…yeah, I'm okay. Did you…get out of the cuffs?"

"What? Oh, yes. Yes, I did…" Jack helped me to my feet. "You fell," he said simply. "And you were screaming…what happened?"

"Nothing," I said firmly. "Everything's fine. I just…" My gaze wandered back over to the poker. I hadn't thought about the fire for years…and I'd never just lost control like that…

My thoughts were broken by a low creaking sound – the door was opening! "C'mon!" I hissed to Jack, and dove behind the sacks I'd been sitting on. Jack crouched down beside me, casting me a curious glance. I ignored him and peered over the sacks, trying to calm my harsh breathing.

The door opened fully, and Will walked in, looking somewhat dejected. His eyes scanned the small room and grew wide at the scene of mild chaos. His disheartened look vanished as he rushed over to the struggling mule and quieted it, stroking its nose comfortingly. I shot an accusing look at Jack, who avoided my gaze.

Will stood up and looked over at his slumbering master. "Right where I left you," he said fondly. He removed his coat and made to go hang it up, but he stopped short at the table, where the hammer was lying conspicuously on top of the anvil. Will dropped his coat in surprise. "_Not _where I left you," he murmured. It was just then that I remembered to look around; Jack wasn't there. Instead, he was facing Will with his sword drawn. Such is the price for messing with the hat.

"You're the one they're hunting," Will whispered, stepping back. "The pirate."

Oh, this too good to resist. "Pi_rates_, actually," I corrected, straightening up. "With an 's.' Plural. Two. More than one." I jumped over the sacks and bowed with a flourish. "Kate Cooper. Nice to meet you."

Will couldn't have looked more surprised if someone had told him he was the King of England. "Where did you…? How did you…?"

"Not that difficult," I answered his stuttering. "I walked behind 'em and sat down. Any moron could do it. Oh, and by the way –" I drew my cutlass. "– as a pirate, I find it to be my sworn duty to be threatening you in some way, shape, or form, a duty that I must uphold in the immediate future. Nothing personal, mate. It ain't you, it's me."

Will's brow furrowed in confusion. Jack, however, looked positively radiant. "Oh, so you admit that you're a pirate, eh? Well, that's wonderful news! If you weren't, I would've had to – well, it's best that you don't know," he said finally, winking jovially.

"Um…great," I said halfheartedly, taking a step away.

Jack turned to Will. "You seem somewhat familiar. Have I threatened you before?" I snorted with laughter.

"I make it a point of avoiding familiarity with pirates," Will answered coldly.

"Ah," Jack replied undauntedly. "Well, it'd be a shame to leave a black mark on your record, so if you'll excuse us…" He turned towards the door, but Will, having procured a sword from the back wall, blocked his path.

Jack smirked. "Do you think this wise, boy? Crossing blades with a pirate?"

Will didn't even blink. "You threatened Miss Swann."

Jack ran his blade down the length of Will's. "Only a little," he murmured.

I had only enough time to scramble backwards onto the sacks before they sprang at each other. "Hey, watch it!" I shouted.

They ignored me as their blades met again. Sparks erupted out of the point of contact. Jack lunged forward, on the offensive, but Will pushed him back, swinging his blade wildly for good measure. Will then switched to an offensive maneuver himself, forcing Jack backwards.

"You know what you're doing, I'll give you that," Jack admitted. "Excellent form…but how's your footwork? If I step here…" Jack took a step to his right, crossing one foot over the other. Will matched his footsteps and met his blade with a fury. "Very good," Jack praised. "And now I step again…"

I leaned against the wall, my face broken into a wide grin. This was amazing. Gore Verbinski had been completely unable to project this sort of action through the big screen. Jack looked over at me, grinning. When Will moved to strike again, Jack leapt into the air, spun around, and blocked Will's sword mere inches from his face. I caught my breath, amazed at the new trick. Jack straightened up and bowed low. I felt my smile widen. He was such a show-off…and for me, no less! Jeff and Ross are never going to believe this.

Jack met Will's sword once more and forced it to drop by Will's side. "Ta," he whispered triumphantly, and once again made for the door. I stood up and stretched, still hanging on to my cutlass just in case. "We'll leave to your…forging, and whatnot," I said to Will, bowing slightly. I started after Jack…

…only to leap backwards as Will's sword flew past my left arm. It stuck itself in the door's catch, inches from Jack's face.

I glared at Will. "_Dude_! What's the matter with you? You almost skewered me!" Will said nothing, but I thought I glimpsed a flash of regret.

Rolling his eyes, Jack gripped the hilt of the sword and pulled hard. It didn't budge. Jack pulled again. Still nothing.

"Admittedly a nice aim," I said to Will. "Does that just come naturally, or do you have to practice?"

Will looked away, his face a bit pink. "Practice," he muttered.

I nodded approvingly. "Very impressive. You'd make a good pirate."

Will suddenly looked up, eyes burning with anger. The smile froze on my face. Oh, right. The good boy. "No need to look like that," I reasoned, taking a step back. "It was supposed to be a compliment."

Will probably would've forced my sword from me and skinned me alive if Jack hadn't given up on the caught sword. "That is a _wonderful_ trick," he said, swaggering back over to Will and raising his sword again. "Except once again, you are between us and our way out." He gestured to the back door. I raised my sword level with Jack's and pointed it between Will's eyes. "And now," Jack finished, "you have no weapon!"

Will grabbed a poker from the fire and pointed it at Jack. The smile was immediately wiped from Jack's face.

I sighed and sat back down. "You see? I told you we were setting a bad example." The donkey brayed and started moving again. The gears immediately set to work.

I watched as the fight commenced, jumping every time Will's poker made contact with Jack's cutlass. The fight drew closer to me, and sparks flew from the two weapons. I yelped at a particularly strong batch and fell off the sacks. I groaned softly and crawled back onto my seat. Jack and Will had stopped swinging at each other and were staring at me curiously. I smiled weakly. "Ha, ha, ha…careful with that poker, you could put somebody's eye out…ahem…carry on." Will shrugged and lunged once again. Jack just barely blocked it, keeping his gaze fixed on me.

The next time Will lunged, Jack was prepared. He jumped onto one of the moving pillars, forcing Will step around the fast-moving wooden spokes to get to him.

Spotting yet another rack of swords, Jack called out, "Who makes all these?"

"I do!" Will answered. "And I practice with them…three hours a day!"

I chuckled. "You must have a real rockin' social life, huh?"

Jack agreed. "You need to find yourself a girl, mate!"

Will attacked again with renewed vigor. I stood up, ready to fight if needed. It looked, though, like Jack had everything under control. "Or," he said tauntingly, "perhaps the reason you practice three hours a day is that you've already found one, and are otherwise incapable of _wooing_ said strumpet." His smile disappeared. "You're not a eunuch, are you?" I almost fell off the sacks again, this time from laughter.

Will ignored me. "I practice three hours a day so that when I meet a pirate, I can kill it!" Jack nodded understandingly, and the fight resumed. Jack and Will were forced up onto a wobbly wooden wagon, and then up to the rafters.

Feeling bored, I looked down at my own sword, and then up at the fight. I smirked and moved directly underneath the two swordfighters. "Hey, Iron Lung!" I called up to Will, as Jack's sword flew out of his hand and dropped some three feet away. "Are you going to come down and fight, or do I have to climb all the way up there?"

Without hesitating, Will leapt down from the rafters, wincing from the shock of the fall. I waited until he was on his feet before lunging forward. He blocked it, but his arm was shaking – that had been a hard blow. Will moved on the offensive, but I blocked every one of his hits – as much to my amazement as his. You see, the heaviest sword I had ever held was a blunt, foil-wrapped fencing sword, but using this heavier and less flexible cutlass seemed no different than using said fencing sword. I guess they don't call it magic for nothing.

Switching to the offensive, I drove Will directly underneath the rafter which held the sandbag. I only had time to dive out of the way (nearly getting burned to a crisp by Will's poker) before Jack pointed the mouth of the bag at Will and blasted him with red sand.

Jack jumped down to stand beside me, retrieved and sheathed his sword, and pulled out his pistol. "And _that_, Kate, is one of the many examples of being resourceful and clever in a swordfight, rather than using brute force alone."

"I'll keep that in mind," I grumbled, shifting uncomfortably. I hadn't used brute force alone! Right?

Will rubbed his eyes like a five-year-old and stared at Jack disbelievingly. "You cheated."

"Pirate!" Jack reminded him, his gold tooth glinting.

"Honestly, dude, can you really expect us to play by the rules?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Will said nothing, but he averted his eyes.

Suddenly, a loud _thump_ could be heard from the other side of the room. The door was shaking violently, and men's voices could be heard from the outside.

Jack pointed his pistol at Will. "Move away!"

"No!"

Jack had an exasperated look on his face. "_Please_ move?"

"NO!" Will brandished his rapidly cooling poker. "I cannot just step aside and let you escape!"

"Sure you can!" I countered. "Just move two steps to your left!"

Jack cocked his pistol. "This shot is not meant for you."

_CRASH!_

Jack fell to the floor, yet another victim of drunken violence. I stared at Mr. Brown. "Was that really necessary?" My only response was a blank look.

The door flew open and at least twenty marines flocked into the small room, Norrington in the lead. A good third of the men pointed their guns at Jack's unconscious body, but most aimed at me.

At Norrington's glare, I reluctantly sheathed my sword and raised my hands high above my head. Two marines once again secured my arms behind my back. "Oh, _fine_," I sighed. "Like it'll do any good."

Norrington ignored me. "Excellent work, Mr. Brown. You've assisted in the capture of a dangerous fugitive."

"Just doing my civic duty, sir," Mr. Brown slurred. I rolled my eyes and exchanged a glance with Will, who looked thoroughly surprised but slightly pleased.

Norrington smirked at me. "Well, I trust you will all remember this as the day that Captain Jack Sparrow _almost_ escaped. Take him away." Another two soldiers hoisted Jack off the ground and dragged him out the door.

Norrington stepped forward until he was only about six inches away from me. "I will not tolerate any trouble on your behalf, Miss Cooper. After all, it doesn't look as though you'll be making any more miraculous escapes any time soon."

I don't know what made me say it, but before I knew what was happening…"Well, sir, if you bend over again, I'm sure I can manage."

Norrington's face flushed a deep red. He glared at me for a moment before snatching a gun from one of his bewildered men and raised it above his head. My sneer vanished, and everything went black.

* * *

The next chapter should be up by the weekend.


	6. The Jail Reveals All

This chapter will give you a little more perceptive about Kate, and we'll also see Jack's attempts at wooing her. Oh, dear…

Disclaimer: I do not own PotC or any of its characters. Anything that wasn't in the movie most likely belongs to me.

* * *

When I finally slipped back into consciousness, I was lying on a cold, hard surface. Behind my closed eyelids, I could see flickering light, as though from fire. After a moment's pause, I could hear soft, encouraging voices from somewhere close by. Funny…they didn't sound like Jeff or Ross… 

"Come here, doggy!"

"Can you smell it? It's marrowbone!"

"Come here, boy!"

"Want a nice, juicy bone?"

_What the…oh, yeah!_ Remembering where I was, I snapped open my eyes and sat up abruptly…only to lie back down as pain coursed through my body. Ugh…I feel like my head's been sliced in half…

"You may want to get up a bit more slowly, luv."

"J-jack?" I whispered, sitting up again, this time more slowly. Looking around, I saw Jack sitting against a stone wall, his features masked in the flickering light. "What…what happened?" I asked, placing a hand to my head. I felt a fairly large bump at the top, and it hurt to touch.

"Not quite sure, myself," Jack answered, looking uncertain. "I think someone knocked us both out. When I came to about an hour ago, you were unconscious and we were already behind bars."

"Wonderful," I muttered, scanning the prison cell. The floor was scattered with straw, and dim light shown from the torches that lined the walls outside the cells. The only occupied cells were ours and that of the other prisoners, who were eagerly coaxing a dust-colored dog over to the cell. The dog was lying beneath a wooden bench, a ring of keys in its mouth. Over on the wall of the jail, my sword and Jack's effects hung on a wooden hanger of sorts (and here I felt a wave of rage towards Norrington). Looking over to the back corner of the cell, I spotted an iron water pitcher and half a loaf of bread.

Following my gaze, Jack said quickly, "You can have those. The guards brought them in a little while ago, and I've had my share."

"Thanks, Jack," I replied, going over to pick up the food. I was both starving and parched, but I ate slowly, wanting to make the meal last. The bread was hard and dry, and the water tasted stale, but at least it was food.

While I was eating, Jack looked over at the other prisoners. "You can keep doing that forever, the dog is _never _going to move."

"Oh, excuse us if we haven't resigned ourselves to the gallows just yet," one of the prisoners shot back, glaring at him. Jack smiled and rested his head against the cell wall, appearing to be asleep.

Sighing softly, I put down the empty pitcher and stood up, stretching my cramped muscles. I walked over to the barred window and stared out into the night. The fort, in which was the prison, was situated on an outcropping of land overhanging the harbor, giving us a perfect viewpoint for when the _Black Pearl _arrived. The town was still and quiet, dark except for a few twinkling lights from the windows. The overcast weather caused by Elizabeth's medallion still hung in the sky, but as I watched, a cloud slowed away from the three-quarter moon, bathing the cell with a soft silver light. I looked down at the medallion quickly. I know that the curse doesn't apply if you aren't the one to pull the coin out of the chest, but all the same…Stealing a quick look at Jack, I stuck my hand in between the bars and squeezed my eyes shut, afraid to look (hey, do any of _you _suddenly want to see your hand transformed into a bunch of bones?...Yeah. Didn't think so).

After about five seconds, my hand didn't feel any different. Opening my cautiously, I saw my hand as it normally was. The skin had turned gray in the moonlight, but it was skin nonetheless. I pulled my hand back inside, relieved, as clouds covered the moon once again. So the medallion hadn't cursed me…but maybe it really was one of the 882 pieces, and its keeper had somehow sent it to me…but surely no one knew how to control the space-time continuum…

I jumped at Jack's voice. "They only need to find one more piece o' gold. Yours isn't it."

I looked over my shoulder at him. "I thought you were asleep."

"Now why would I be asleep? After all, we are scheduled for hanging tomorrow. No sense spending your last few hours sleeping." He scooted over a little and patted the floor beside him.

I sat down next to him and leaned against the wall like he was. "We're not gonna die," I told him simply. "An unfortunate bit of circumstance for the good people of Port Royal will cause Commodore Knock Out to forget all about his little lawbreakers –"

"Wait, _Norrington _knocked you out?" Jack interrupted disbelievingly. "Quite the gentlemanly fellow. The ladies must be pounding down his door."

I chuckled. "Yeah, I reminded Norrington of the exact origin of his bruising –" Jack laughed. "– and he grabbed some guy's gun and hit me over the head with it, which definitely won't look good on his employee record. Anyway, we'll be let out of jail tomorrow alive and unharmed." I gestured to the door of the jailhouse.

Jack looked at me intently. "You're positive?"

"Uh-huh. I know every little detail of our mad dash to freedom."

"_How_, luv? How is it that you know everything about me? How do you know what I'm about to say?" Jack placed his hand on my cheek and turned my head so that we were staring at each other dead on. "I need an answer, luv, before I can really trust you."

I sighed softly and brushed away his hand. I guess I don't have any choice…"It's not really that easy to explain, Jack…I'm not even sure of the whole thing myself…"

"Then I'll ask you questions and you'll answer the best you can, savvy?" Jack asked. I nodded reluctantly. "All right, then. Where did you get that medallion?"

I took a deep breath. "It was –"

"Ssh!" Jack looked over suspiciously at the other inmates. In fact, two of them were straining to hear our conversation. "Not so loud!" Jack warned.

I lowered my voice. "This medallion was sent to me…but I don't know where it came from or why it was sent to me. It came with a note," I remembered. "I can't remember the exact words, but I advised to…wear it well, and that…it was my destiny to have this medallion."

"Uh-huh," Jack said thoughtfully. "Any idea on who this note was from?"

I shook my head. "It just had the letter C…" I stopped short. _Oh, duh. _Speaks about destiny, involved in supernatural affairs, first initial of C?

Wow, I'm an idiot.

Jack apparently didn't notice my change in expression. "And this medallion...does it allow you to see the future?"

I felt a relieved smile break out across my face. "Yes…yes! That's why I know what you're gonna say, and what's gonna happen in the morning, and stuff like that." Jack nodded approvingly. "But there's more to it than seeing the future. Sometimes, under the right circumstances, I can see what's going on in other parts of the world…but not that often. Mostly, I use the medallion to look into the past and future."

"The past?" Jack echoed skeptically. I nodded. "Example."

"Example? Okay, um, let's see…oh, I got one." I crawled from my spot on the wall to lie on my stomach in front of Jack, my head propped up on my elbows. "Ten years ago," I began, "you and crew set out to the dreaded Isla de Muerta in search of the Aztec gold. Things go fine, until your first mate, Hector Barbossa, was able to get the directions out of you. He led the rest the crew in a mutiny against you, left you on the rumrunner's island, and sailed off to face a grim fate of transforming into the living dead on regular basis."

Jack was quiet for a long time. I frowned. "That's right, isn't it?"

"Hmm? Oh…yes, that's it." He looked thoughtful. "An ability such as that could come in handy, luv. Particularly to a man who, let's say…needed to find the location of his missing ship." He shot me a hopeful look.

I chuckled. "Well, Jack, it's not that simple. I can't tell exact locations, or even times; all I get is the big picture, if you will, rather than the little details. But I _can_ tell you that you'll be seeing the _Pearl_ again soon…way sooner than you think."

"I see…" Jack murmured, looking thoughtful again.

I cleared my throat. "So, is that it?"

"Not quite," Jack replied.

"Okay, then. Ask away."

"Why are you afraid of fire?"

My head shot up. "Wh-what?"

Jack smiled grimly. "You can't fool me, luv. The look you had on back there? I've seen that look before…on anyone who has an unnatural knack for getting himself or herself into danger."

"You mean, on your face?" I shot back.

"Now, I didn't say that," Jack said quickly.

"But wouldn't you call running from the Royal Navy, raiding heavily armed ports, and facing cursed pirates 'getting yourself into danger'?"

Jack glowered at me. "Don't change the subject, luv."

I sighed and straightened to a sitting position. _How am I supposed to go about saying this? I've never spoken to anyone outside the family…except maybe Mia, but that's different. What if I start crying? Some pirate I'd be, blubbering like a baby over something that happened three years ago…_

"Kate?" Jack prompted gently.

I sighed again, this time more deeply. "I guess…I guess the real reason I don't like fire is because…of this." Slowly, I straightened my right leg, removed my boot, and pulled up my pant leg. I saw Jack's eyes widen. An angry red burn stretched from my ankle to about halfway up my calf muscle, wrapping around the full length of my leg.

I held my leg out for a second, but then quickly drew it in, hugging it close to my chest. "When I was fourteen, a bolt of lightning struck my house, and it caught on fire. Everybody was asleep…by the time I woke up, the fire was too big for me to get out of the house. It was…" I broke off, unable to describe the terror of being surrounded by twenty-foot high flames, feeling the heat suck the very life from your body, the smoke choking you with every breath. I shuddered and continued. "One of the…support beams from my house fell on my leg. I'd never felt…anything like that sort of pain." I closed my eyes, still feeling the flames eating away at my flesh. I felt a lump come to my throat. "When I woke up, I was in a hos – I mean, at the doctor's," I corrected quickly. "They said I'd have this scar for the rest of my life…but…but I didn't care!" I shouted suddenly. Tears were falling now, thick and fast. I didn't bother wiping my face, but let my eyes burn. "I barely even noticed the pain…because…because.." My voice dropped to a choked whisper. "My mom and dad…both of them…they died."

I took several deep, shuddering breaths. "That's why I don't like fire." Without even waiting for a reaction from Jack, I wordlessly grabbed my boot and pulled it back on, blinded by my tears.

Just as my breath began to calm, I felt Jack's hand press into my shoulder. I turned my head; the twinkle of laughter had disappeared from his eyes. "I'm sorry, Kate," he whispered seriously.

I chuckled darkly. "Pirate."

"Not always," Jack pointed out.

Whoa…he actually seemed serious. The only thing he'd ever been serious about was rum, his ship, and basically anything involving himself (I'm not trying to be mean here. I'm only saying it's hard for Jack, as a pirate, to be truly serious about death). I nodded slightly. "Thanks, Jack. That means a lot." Jack smiled and leaned back against the wall. After a moment's pause, I sat next to him again, hugging my knees.

"If it's quite alright with you, luv," Jack said after a moment, "I have a few more questions I'd like to ask you." I nodded sullenly. Jack waited for a more subsequent reaction, and then cleared his throat rather loudly. "Where did you say you were from?"

"I didn't," I answered. "Besides, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me," Jack challenged.

I fingered the medallion nervously. "Um…you've heard of the thirteen American colonies, right?" Jack nodded. "Well, I'm from…somewhere around there." I coughed. "So, next?"

"How old are you?" Jack asked bluntly.

I raised an eyebrow. What the…"Seventeen. Why?"

Jack pondered this for a moment. "Seventeen…a little late to be out and about."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, luv, normally a bonny lass such as yourself would have long since found a dashing youth to wed." Jack seemed serious again. "_Have _you?"

"What, married?"

"Not married, specifically…just found the right someone," Jack corrected, waving his hand vaguely.

"Well…I don't know. I mean, I was in a relationship, but that was a long – are you _flirting_ with me?" I asked incredulously.

"Now _what_ would give you that idea?" Jack whispered lustily, running one finger down my arm. I felt my skin tremble with desire, but pointedly looked away.

I know what you're thinking: "Why is she upset? Having Jack Sparrow interested in you is a GOOD thing!" And yes, it is. Very much. But to that statement, I give the following three points: Number 1: _Captain!_ Number Two: I knew he wasn't completely sincere about this…and maybe I wasn't, either. And Number Three: If I get into a relationship with him, I'll be all the more crushed by the time the Sparrabethers have their time…damn you, Lizzie!

Jack tried again. "You know, luv, you and I are a lot alike. Cut from the same cloth, you might say…" He broke off, placing a hand on the side of my face, his breath quickening.

I brushed his hand away. "Like that's the first time you've ever said _that_."

For a moment, Jack looked stunned, but he recovered quickly. "Oh, come now, luv. No need to play hard-to-get with ol' Jack. Judging from that flattering blush that so graced your cheeks earlier, you don't find me so repulsive after all."

Said blush returned to my face. "I wouldn't say _repulsive_…" I immediately stopped myself. "Jack, that's not funny." I made to stand up, but Jack pulled me to the floor again.

"I'm not trying to be funny, luv," he murmured.

I pushed him away again. "Jack, you and I both know that you're not serious when you say things like that –"

"I could be serious if you want, sweetheart!" one of the other prisoners yelled. A couple of the others laughed and tried luring _me _over to their cell.

"NOBODY F---ING ASKED YOU!!!" I shouted, jumping to my feet. The men scrambled backwards and hastily whistled to the dog again. My God, these guys are a pain. I wish Norrington had left me my sword.

"Well done, luv," Jack said softly, his eyes traveling up and down my form. The rational part of my brain told me to sit back down NOW, but my hormonal side argued that no harm could come from Jack just _looking_. Finally, the rational part of my brain won out, and I sat back down, careful not to excite Jack too much.

"Jack," I said wearily. "You're…very attractive…_very_…" Jack smiled seductively and leaned in closer. I pushed him away yet again. "But we can't let a relationship get in the way of what needs to be done. _You _need to get your ship back, and I need to…figure out what I need to do."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

I looked away. "I'm just saying, Jack, we need to think about…well, what could happen because of this. Remember, I can see the future, so I know –"

"Shh," Jack whispered, pressing a finger to my lips. "There is no 'future,' luv. There's only this moment…right now…the two of us…"

I felt my heart speed up. Jack leaned closer to my face, his eyes half-closed. My skin burned with his nearness. _Oh, hell, why not? _I closed my eyes and leaned closer to him. I felt Jack's arm around my waist, his hot breath on my face. Our faces must have been only inches away now…our breaths mingling together…

BOOM!

I jumped and scrambled away from Jack, who looked just as surprised as I felt. I placed a hand over my racing heart, trying to quiet my breathing. That had been just a little too close.

BOOM!

Jack recognized the source of our interruption the same time I did. "I know those guns," he whispered. He leapt to his feet and raced to the window. He took a long look, and then looked back at me, grinning. "It's the _Pearl_," he said softly.

I smiled. "I told you you'd see it soon."

The prisoners finally seemed to catching on. "The _Black Pearl_?" one of them whispered fearfully. He and another prisoner crept up to the bars that separated our two cells. "I've heard stories…she's been preying on ships 'n settlements for near ten years…never leaves any survivors."

"No survivors?" Jack asked, looking back at the others. "Then where do the stories come from, I wonder?" The prisoner frowned and looked at his companion, who shrugged.

I laughed. "The chain of gossip will never take into account such trivialities as facts. Now, move over." Jack obediently stepped back from the window, and I took his place. Clouds still covered the sky, but cannon fire and explosions in the town made everything as clear as day. That being said, I could still barely make out the large, shadowy ship in the middle of the harbor.

"Whoa," I whispered. The _Black Pearl_, even from a distance, looked even more amazing than it had done on camera. "Forget the _Interceptor_," I murmured. "Now _that_ is a pretty boat…ship." I looked over at Jack, who was grinning slyly. "What?"

"Cut. Cloth. Same," he said simply.

I rolled my eyes and inched away from him. "Very funny. She's a great-looking ship though." As I watched, a rogue cannonball blasted into the port, and screams could be heard. I winced. "And apparently very good in combat."

I stepped out of the way and let Jack have another look at his ship. Jack stared out the window for a moment, and then looked back at me. "I'm having a thought, here, Kate. Since your parents are…" He struggled to find the right word. "…not here…you don't really have any place to call your own, right?" I nodded sullenly, feeling a lump come to my throat again. "And you, like so many others, have been lured by the sea to a life of freedom and adventure?"

"You don't know the half of it," I muttered, thinking once again of the note.

Jack nodded thoughtfully. "If I'm not mistaken, luv, both of us are in possession of something the other wants. I have said life of adventure, and you have the ability to tell me where exactly my ship will be."

"Where are you going with this?" I asked, daring not to get my hopes up.

Jack smiled. "I've got a proposition for you, luv. If you can help me get my ship back, I'll let you join me crew. Savvy?"

I felt a smile tugging at my lips. "You really mean that?"

Jack's smile widened as he stuck out his hand. "Do we have an accord?"

I felt a smile of my own break out over my face as I shook his hand. "Agreed."

"Agreed," Jack echoed. He looked back out the window at his ship.

Suddenly, his smile disappeared. "Look out!" he shouted, and shoved me out of the way. And not a moment too soon; a cannonball burst through the prison wall, shattering the back wall in the other cell. A large chunk of flying rock had hit the ground where I had been standing just a few moments before.

My heart was beating lightning-fast again. "Thanks, Jack," I said, my voiced slightly high-pitched. No answer. "Jack?" I said a little louder.

"Mmm," he sighed. For a minute, I thought he was hurt, but then I noticed his arms were still wrapped tightly around me.

I felt anger flare up in my chest. "Jack, are you trying to give me a heart attack? I thought you were really hurt!"

"'M sorry," Jack said in a muffled voice.

I sighed exasperatedly. "Jack, you can let go now."

"I know."

I shoved him off. "Do you think about _anything_ besides things of a sexual nature?"

Jack thought for a moment. "I think about rum."

"Of course," I muttered, rolling my eyes. I looked over at the other cell; the prisoners were putting the giant hole in the wall to good use. One of the prisoners stopped and looked back at us. "My sympathies, friends. You've no matter of luck at all."

"That's what he thinks," I said to Jack as the prisoner ran off. "Our entire pirating career is based on luck." Jack didn't answer; he had picked up the bone and trying to see if he was more successful then our former inmates. As I watched, the cell became bathed in moonlight again.

Jack whistled. "Come on, doggy! It's just you and me, now…just you and ol' Jack."

"You see, this is exactly my point," I interrupted, sitting back down. "You love a girl for one night, and then you forget all about 'em."

Jack looked over at me. "You say somethin', luv?"

I opened my mouth, thought better of it, and shook my head. "No."

The dog stood up and slowly started walking over to Jack. "That's it…that's it, boy, come on! Good boy…come get the bone!" The dog was only steps away from the jail now. "A bit closer…a bit closer…that's it, doggy…come on, you filthy, slimy, mangy cur…"

I snorted. "Somehow I doubt that'd be much of a help."

Suddenly, the prison door slammed open. The dog looked back, caught red-handed (or red-pawed), and ran away guiltily. "No, no, no, no, no, I didn't mean it!" Jack called after it. "I didn't…oh."

The door slammed again, and men's shouts could be heard. A marine fell down the steps, dead. His murderers appeared shortly after, in the form of Twigg and Koehler.

Twigg looked around. "This ain't the armory!"

"Crap," I muttered, as Koehler spotted us.

He grinned. "Well, well, well…look what we have here, Twiggy. _Captain _Jack Sparrow." He spat in Jack's face. I cringed, thankful I hadn't been noticed yet. Although I knew this and all other scenes as the back _and _front of my hand, I still felt a trickle of fear.

"Last time I saw you," Twigg said mockingly, "you were all alone, on a godforsaken island, shrinking into the distance. His fortunes aren't improved much," he added to Koehler, who grunted.

"Worry about your own fortunes, gentlemen," Jack advised icily. "The deepest circle of hell is reserved for betrayers and mutineers."

Koehler reached through the bars and latched onto Jack's neck. As soon as his arm entered the moonlit cell, it turned into a mass of dirty white bones. I clamped a hand over my mouth to keep from making a noise, but Jack was quite a bit calmer. "So there is a curse," he muttered thoughtfully. "That's interesting."

"You know nothing of hell," Koehler whispered dangerously. He let go of Jack and began to walk away, but Twigg stopped him.

"Take a look, mate," he said, leering at me. "Ol' Sparrow's got a little wench wit' him."

"I'm no wench," I whispered, my hand clutching my medallion.

Twigg chuckled. "Course you're not." He and Koehler took a couple steps closer to the cell, smiling lecherously. I shrank back, holding the medallion tighter. "Now what's a pretty thing like you doin' in this here cell?" Twigg asked softly.

I smiled weakly. "I'm…more dangerous than I look."

"Oh, I don't doubt that," Twigg chuckled. He looked over at his partner, but Koehler was focused on my hand.

"What you got there?" he asked.

"N-nothing," I stammered. I was gripping the coin so tight, my knuckles had turned white.

Koehler looked at me for a long moment. "Sparrow!" he barked suddenly. "Bring her here!"

Jack stared at him coldly. "No, I don't think I will."

Koehler drew his gun and pointed it in Jack's face. "Bring her here," he repeated.

Jack hesitated, but slowly turned and held out his hand. "Come on, luv," he coaxed. "You'll be alright. They won't hurt you."

His voice calmed me slightly. I let go of the medallion and took his hand, and he gently pulled me over to the cell door. Right before letting go, he squeezed my hand comfortingly. Koehler reached down and took the medallion his hand. He stared at it curiously and turned it over.

Twigg's eyes were wide. "Turner?" he whispered to me.

I shook my head. "Cooper," I answered, my voice catching slightly.

Koehler straightened up. "'S not it," he grunted.

Twigg looked at him. "What?"

"'S not what we're lookin' for," Koehler told him. They looked at me for a long moment, and then walked out of the jail, Twigg casting a few glances over his shoulder.

Jack examined the bone, his face thoughtful. "That's very interesting," he whispered.

I started to reply, but collapsed against the cell door, shaking slightly. Jack whispered something I couldn't hear and placed his arm around me again. This time, I let myself lean against his shoulder.

* * *

Ooh, 12 pages in Word! 


	7. Half Pin Barrel Hinges

Thanks to all those who reviewed. This chapter – and possibly the next – may seem a little cut-and-dry, and I apologize. I'm having a little trouble finding the best way to work Kate in. It'll get better by Tortuga, I swear!

_**Note: This chapter has been reposted. It is different than before!**_

Disclaimer: I do not own PotC or any of its characters. Anything that wasn't in the movie most likely belongs to me.

* * *

I suppose that I'd fallen asleep, but when I opened my eyes, it was still dark out. In fact the only light seemed to a soft, gentle glow coming from somewhere close by…I looked down. My medallion was glowing again. My hand clutched it for a moment, but then I jerked my hand back, clenching my teeth. The medallion was burning – just like it had done in the water.

Looking around, I saw that I was still in the jail cell. The harsh flashes of light from the _Pearl_'s cannons shone brightly through the hole in the wall. Looking over to the door of my cell, I saw a dark, huddled mass leaning against the right wall. Taking a few paces closer, I saw the mass was actually two people, sleeping peacefully. One of them, to my surprise, was Jack. His head was leaning back against the stone wall, a small smile on his face. His arm was wrapped around the waist of the second figure, a red-haired young woman…

My heart skipped a beat. It was me.

The other me was resting her head against Jack's shoulder, and one of her hands was covering his. Although she – _I _– was sleeping as deeply as Jack, she didn't look nearly as peaceful. Her brow was creased in a frown, and she was twitching slightly. But…that couldn't be me. She looks just like me, but…no! _I'm _me! Right? Or maybe…_that_ was the real Kate, and I was just some…what was I anyway?

"Am I dead, then?" I whispered out loud. My voice sounded soft but carrying, like an echo. Suddenly, the flickering light of my medallion became even brighter, and the dream-Kate's medallion was shining as well. And then I felt my feet leave the ground, and suddenly everything began to spin, and it was all dark…

And then my feet touched solid ground again. I straightened up and looked around. I was no longer in the jail cell; instead, I was standing on a white, sandy beach. Dark blue waves lapped hungrily at the shore, and the sky above was crystal clear, broken only by a few fluffy white clouds. Looking over my shoulder, I spotted a dense jungle.

_It's that dream again. So that means he should be here soon…_

Sure enough, I heard a soft, sweet tune coming from the jungle. Turning around, I saw a small brown bird – a sparrow, I remembered – soaring out of the jungle and towards me. He landed on my shoulder and blinked his beady eyes happily at me.

"Hey," I murmured, gently stroking his head. The sparrow ruffled his feathers with pleasure. "Nice to see you again, little guy," I went on. "You gonna tell me why you keep showing up here?"

The sparrow's only response was a soft tweet. He pecked my cheek a few times – almost like he was kissing me – spread his wings and took off again. "Don't go," I whispered, but the sparrow flapped endlessly out towards the sea. As he always had, he turned slightly once he was out over the water, his body a background against the setting sun.

Suddenly, the sparrow began to glow, and my medallion's shining intensified again, and the air once again began to spin around me…

* * *

When the spinning finally stopped, I knew I had woken up. I felt the cool stone floor pressing against my cheek, leg, and arm, and I felt the sun's warm rays on my back. I heard a soft rattling sound, occasionally punctuated by a mutter of, "C'mon…please open…"

I opened my eyes and sat up slowly. I had been lying on my side in the middle of the jell floor, my back facing the window. Judging from the sunlight that pored in, it had to be at least nine o' clock. The jailhouse was still and quiet, save for the soft breeze blowing through the broken wall. Oh, yeah – and the ever-so-cunning pirate captain struggling to unlock the door of his cell with a marrowbone.

I stood up and slowly stretched my cramped muscles. "Morning, Jack."

Jack turned around, startled. His gaze softened when he recognized me. "'Ello, luv. Sleep well?"

"Not so well as I'd hoped," I replied, my gaze traveling down to stare at my medallion.

Jack nodded sympathetically. "Thought as much."

"Hmm?"

"You were…" Jack paused, struggling to find the right word. "…twitching."

I blinked. "Twitching?"

"Aye. Twitching, fidgeting, shaking, and otherwise unconsciously and involuntarily moving," Jack recited, turning to try breaking the lock again.

I shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, sorry, did I wake you?"

Jack turned back around so quickly, he dropped the bone. "Oh, no, no, o' course not." I gave him a long look, and his smile faltered slightly. "Well, er…just once. When you were muttering. Something about a bird…"

"Oh, it was just this recurring dream I kept having," I said quickly. "When did you hear me muttering?"

"'Bout an hour ago. Oh, don't look like that, luv, that's a good thing. We have to get out of here, eh?" I nodded, still feeling a bit guilty.

Suddenly, the beginning of my strange dream returned to me. "Jack, could you feel it when I was moving around?"

"Aye," he answered simply.

I looked at him coldly. "Well, at least you had the decency to make it _look_ like you didn't have your arm around me all night."

Jack shot me a mock-horrified glance. "I didn't have my arm around you all night!"

"Oh, come off it, Jack, I knew you were sleeping with your arm around my waist. The medallion sent me a vision while I was asleep."

Jack muttered something about a "_bloody, know-it-all coin_" before replying. "Well, Kate, that was just one instance. My arm wasn't around your waist _all_ night…it was in other places, too."

My eyes nearly popped out of my head, and I felt my face redden. "_Jack_!"

"Only kidding," he said, chuckling. "Just havin' a laugh, luv." He suddenly turned serious again. "Although…"

"Jack," I said in a warning voice, pointedly taking a step back.

He smiled and scooted forward. "You know, as much as I love the _Pearl_, I was none too appreciative of her jealous interruption last night. But she's gone now…we're alone again, luv…" He had that longing look in his eyes again.

"Jack, please," I begged. "Please stop. I told you, you don't really mean this, and maybe I don't either. Right now, we need to focus on getting out of Port Royal alive."

"Oh, there's plenty of time for that," Jack drawled, pulling me down to sit beside him. The longing in his eyes deepened as his hand gently cupped my cheek. "Ol' Norrington's too busy sorting out his ravaged little town to worry about prisoners…'s just you and me, now…"

I felt my resolve begin to weaken. Damn his Captain Jack Sparrow-ness! "Jack…" I pleaded one last time. Jack smiled and leaned in closer, his eyes half-closed and his lips slightly parted...

_Slam! _

Jack jumped and looked towards the stairs. He quickly lay down on the floor and closed his eyes, feigning sleep. I scrambled backwards and pressed myself against the wall, thanking the gods for Will Turner.

Will raced down the steps and stopped at our cell door. "You! Sparrow, Cooper!"

"Aye?" Jack answered, lifting his head.

I smiled pleasantly. "Morning, mate. Ooh, you look awful. Quite a night last night, eh?"

Will ignored me. "You're familiar with that ship, the _Black Pearl_?" he asked, looking from Jack to me and back again.

Jack smiled and leaned his head back against the floor. "I've 'eard of it."

"Understatement of the century, but yes, we know it," I said. "Why do you ask?"

Will looked at me, his mistrust momentarily replaced by relief. "Where does it make berth?"

Jack's head shot up again. "Where does it make berth?! Have you not heard the stories?" Will stared at him coolly. Jack sighed. "_Captain_ Barbossa and his crew of _miscreants_ sail from the dreaded Isla de Muerta. It's an island that cannot be found except by those who already know where it is."

At Will's expectant look, I added, "Basically, it's this cursed island in the middle of nowhere surrounded by fog, jagged rocks, and the remains of sunken ships." I winked. "Often the setting of a particularly scary story."

"The ship's real enough," Will said insistently, "therefore its anchorage must be a real place. Where is it?"

"Why ask us?" Jack asked, casually examining his fingernails.

"Because you're both _pirates_," Will answered impatiently.

"Aye, and proud of it!" I confirmed, grinning.

"Any you want to turn pirate yourself, is that it?" Jack retorted smoothly.

Will clutched the bars, his eyes burning with anger. "Never!"

There was silence for about thirty seconds. I stood up and walked over to the bars, feeling Will's suspicious glare on me. "This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain blond-haired, high-society, prone-to-fainting young lady, would it?" I asked softly, smiling patronizingly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jack look up with interest.

Will looked away, hesitant. "They took Miss Swann," he confirmed quietly.

I nodded and took a step back from the door. "I knew it."

"Oh, so it is that you found a girl!" Jack said happily, pulling himself up to a sitting position. "I see. Well, if you're planning to brave all, hasten to her rescue, and so win fair lady's heart…you'll have to do it alone, mate. I see no profit in it for me."

Will looked at me almost imploringly, but I shook my head. "Sorry, dude; if Jack stays, then I stay. If you're so desperate for our help, you'll need to procure an item of negotiable value."

Will thought for a moment. "I can get you out of here."

"How's that?" Jack asked him. "The key's run off." He gestured in the direction the dog had run off.

"I helped build these cells," Will explained, examining the door. "These are half-pin barrel hinges."

I raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"

"Half-pin barrel hinges."

"Right…I'll take your word for it."

"With the right leverage," Will continued, grabbing the wooden bench and placing one end through one of the holes, "and the proper application of strength, the door will lift free!"

Jack gave him a long look. "What's your name?"

Will blinked in confusion. "Will Turner."

It took a moment for that to sink in. "That would be short for William, I would imagine," Jack said finally. "Good strong name…no doubt named for your father, aye?"

Will gave him a strange look. "…Yes."

"Uh-huh," Jack said thoughtfully.

I nodded approvingly. "Aye, the Turner family apparently likes the name William so much, they gave that name to three whole generations of boys, am I right?"

"My grandfather was named Henry…" Will said, looking lost.

I sighed. "I meant the other way, Will."

"What?"

Jack saved me the trouble of further explanations. "Well, Mr. Turner, I've changed me mind." He hoisted himself up and kneeled against the door. "If you spring me from this cell, I swear on pain of death I shall take you to the _Black Pearl_ and your bonny lass."

"Same here," I added. "Won't be easy, but it'll pay off for all present. So, do we have an accord?" I stuck out my hand, and Jack did the same.

Will shook them. "Agreed."

"Agreed."

"Agreed," Jack said finally. "Get us out."

Will pushed down on the raised end of the bench, and the door was lifted off its hinges, half-pin barrel or otherwise. Will gripped the frame and tossed it in the corner. "Hurry, someone will have heard that."

"Not without my effects!" Jack said, stepping out of the cell and grabbing his stuff off the hanger. I grabbed my cutlass and slipped it underneath my sash, grateful to feel its already-familiar weight on my hip.

"Why bother with that?" Will asked, gesturing to the pistol. "You could've escaped if you'd killed me before, but you weren't willing to use it."

"Are you advising me that was a mistake?" Jack asked coldly, pointing the pistol at him.

"Hey, hey, hey!" I cut in, stepping in between the two of them. "Can we refrain from doing anything illegal until we're off this bloody island?"

Jack was silent for a moment before saying, "When you've only got one shot, you need to wait for the opportune moment. That wasn't it…nor is this." He lowered the pistol. Will looked at him for a moment longer before running down a second set of stairs. Jack and I followed, exchanging a glance.

Hey, wait a minute…I get to torment Norrington again! YAY!

* * *


	8. Kate vs Norrington, Part 2

I have an early Christmas gift for you guys! (And for those who don't celebrate Christmas, think of it as an early/late gift for your own respective holidays) Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own PotC or any of its characters. Anything that wasn't in the movie most likely belongs to me.

* * *

Once we were out of the jailhouse, Will led us through a series of dark alleys. He and I jumped every time a group of marines trooped by, but Jack kept his calm, already formulating a daring escape. I looked at him disbelievingly out of the corner of my eye. We had just been sprung from jail in a town crawling with marines, had been marked for pirates, and were now running towards the docks in order to steal a Navy ship! How could he stay so calm? He's acting like he's done this a million times before!

Oh, wait. He probably has.

Jack caught me staring and winked, smiling slyly. "Like what you see, luv?"

I glared at him and pressed a finger to my lips. "Shh!" Jack shrugged good-naturedly and winked again. I looked away, willing myself not to turn red again. It probably didn't work.

Before long, I recognized our route as the same one Jack and I had used to "escape" yesterday. Jack recognize it, too, and immediately took the lead. I followed close behind him, and Will brought up the rear. It was a sweltering hot day, and although repair efforts were being made in other parts of the town, there weren't a lot of people on the streets. But as we drew closer to the docks, a group of women wandered out of a small shop, fanning themselves profusely. Jack veered off the street and splashed through about six inches of water. Will and I followed, wincing as water splashed into our boots.

Once we were underneath the stone bridge, we had a clear view of the docks where the _Dauntless_ was moored. Despite the almost ghost-like quality of the town, the docks were packed with soldiers and sailors alike, struggling to make repairs. I turned to Jack, but before I could say anything, a woman's voice came from above the bridge (most likely part of the group we had seen a few moments before): "Did you hear about the Commodore? He's been walking so stiffly all morning! His back is in such pain!"

"Yes, yes, poor dear," another woman replied sadly. "No doubt from being kicked by that awful pirate yesterday. Honestly, I don't know what the world's coming to these days, girls running hither and thither, completely rejecting social conduct and whatnot."

"Too true, too true," a third voice agreed. "Has your husband taken a look at the good Commodore yet, Clara?"

"Oh, yes," the first voice answered. "My word, but he had some ghastly bruising. His entire lower back was black and blue, simply dreadful. Like his coat hadn't even been there." This got a round of giggles from the women.

Once their voices had faded, I clamped my hands over my mouth but was unable to quell my laughter. Jeez, guess I don't know my own strength! Serves him right, the ice cream-headed bastard.

Jack, too, was grinning. "Remind me never to get on your bad side, luv."

Will, however, looked disgusted. "That was cheap shot," he said disapprovingly. "You attacked him while his back was turned. It was dishonorable and cowardly."

I turned to him. "My most sincere apologies, William, but I'm going to have to disagree. I wasn't being cowardly; I was simply taking advantage of his lowered guard. Besides, as a member of the Royal Navy, he should know never to turn his back on an enemy, even when said enemy is restrained." After a moment, I added, "And if you're so concerned about Norrington's honor, remember that he insulted_ my_ honor first." Will gave me a long look, and I laughed. "Okay, okay. He insulted what little honor I have left."

"Bear in mind, Mr. Turner," Jack cut in, "that you yourself will be participating in a fair few dishonorable acts before long."

I rolled my eyes at Will's confused look. "C'mon, Will, this isn't all that difficult. Elizabeth and her captors left Port Royal in a ship, which we don't have. Jack and I are pirates, and this whole town is surrounded by sea-worthy boats. Sooooo…"

Will's eyes widened as he caught on. "We're going to steal a ship," he murmured. His eyes found the _Interceptor_, moored in a different, farther dock. "That ship?"

"_Commandeer_," Jack corrected. "We're going to commandeer _that _ship." He pointed to the _Dauntless_.

"Nautical term," I explained. "If you're gonna hang out with pirates, you need to talk like one." Will nodded reluctantly.

Jack looked back at Will, a serious expression on his face. "One question about your business, boy, or there's no use going. This girl: how far are you willing to go to rescue her?"

"I'd die for her!" Will answered gallantly. I snickered quietly.

Jack looked at me. "What about you, Kate?"

I raised an eyebrow. "We have an accord, remember? And despite my pirate status, I always keep my word, even when I'm staring into Death's slimy, tentacled face."

"Oh good," Jack answered. "No worries, then." He looked back at the docks, but then quickly turned his head again. "What?"

"_Tentacled_?" Will asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

I clapped him on the shoulder. "Trust me, you do _not _wanna know. Right, Jack?"

"Ahm…right," Jack answered, shaking himself slightly. Without another word, we were off again, trudging straight ahead towards the beach.

No sooner than we were on dry land again, we heard footsteps from around the corner, slightly muffled by the sand. Jack pointed to a spot near the water's edge; several old longboats lay quietly on the sand. Jack was pointing to a newer-looking, overturned boat. Without a word, we slipped quietly underneath the boat – Jack in front, Will in back, and me squished in between.

Will waited for the footsteps to pass – a group of about four marines, I remembered – before speaking. "How are we going to get to the docks without being seen?"

"Don't ask stupid questions," I told him. "It gets very annoying. Jack, do you have any ideas?"

Jack had a mock-offended look on his face. "Of_ course_ I do, Kate. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, remember? And being such, I am constantly barraged by wonderful and most cunning ideas." He paused. "I just haven't thought of them yet."

I resisted the urge to smack him. "Okay, then, so I guess it's up to me." I thought for a moment, mentally reviewing the scene ahead. "Can you guys see if there are any holes in the top or sides of this boat?"

Jack and Will began to feel around the top. "No," Will said after a few seconds.

"Have an idea, luv?" Jack asked expectantly.

"Uh-huh," I answered. "Okay, here's how this is gonna work. We can breathe in here, right? And in water, air rises up to the surface, right?" Will nodded slowly, clearly not understanding.

Jack sighed. "The bubbles, mate. Think of the air bubbles." After a moment, Will nodded.

"Thank you, Jack," I said inclining my head towards him. "All right, so here's where my plan comes in: this boat –" I knocked quietly on the top. "– is a nice, solid surface. The air under here cannot rise, because the hull acts like a barrier. So, if we were to walk along the seafloor towards the _Dauntless_ and hold this over our heads –"

"We'd be able to breathe!" Will finished.

I nodded. "Exactly. Okay, I don't know how long the air under here will last, so we'd better move quickly. Jack, Will, both of you grab the sides and lift it up a little bit." They obeyed, and all three of us hoisted ourselves up to a slight crouch. When the beach was quiet, Jack muttered, "Now," and we started moving. I choked back a laugh, remembering how ridiculous this looked.

After a few seconds, I felt water underneath my feet again. Will looked a little green, probably having second thoughts about this. As Jack pressed onwards and the water began to rise, Will asked nervously, "Are you positive this is going to work?"

"Judging from my C-minus average in physics class, then no, I have no idea what I'm doing," I answered. "Fortunately, I have a pretty good guess, and in the world of piracy, that'll get you pretty far."

"Well said," Jack said from the front, and we continued walking.

After about another minute, we were at the deepest part of the seafloor and heading towards the direction we remembered the _Dauntless_ was moored. As I thought, the water came up to only Jack and Will's chests, thanks to the trapped air (as for me, a few inches shorter, I had to struggle a bit to keep my head above the water).

"Excellent plan, luv," Jack praised. "I really do need to remember this for – what's that?" A dim golden light had begun to fill the air around us.

I winced and looked down. Even completely submerged, the medallion's shining could be seen clearly. That's funny…why would it be glowing now? Aside from my coming here, the only times it had been glowing were during my dream and when I was in water…

Water.

_Seawater_.

So it _was_ Calypso who sent this! The medallion had been giving me hints the whole time. I quickly cupped the medallion in my hands and held it close to my mouth. "I know who sent you," I whispered. "I know why you keep glowing in water. You really don't need to do that anymore." As I watched, the medallion's light slowly faded away, and when it slipped back beneath the waves, it did not shine again.

I looked up to see Jack looking over his shoulder at me, looking confused. I mouthed, "Medallion." Jack nodded and looked away.

"What was that?" Will asked.

"What?"

"That light."

I froze. "Uh…there wasn't any light, Will."

"Yes, there was," he insisted.

"No, there wasn't. If you're seeing things, then we might be running out of air. We should keep moving." In truth, the air was starting to get a little stale.

After a minute, Will spoke again. "This is either madness, or brilliance."

Jack came to my defense. "It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide."

"When you really think about it," I said thoughtfully, "madness and brilliance are practically the same thing. So either way, I'm satisfied."

My words were punctuated by a loud _crunch_. Will looked down – he had gotten his foot stuck in a lobster trap. He started struggling to pull it out, his face bright red.

"Oh, for the love of…just leave it, we'll get it on the way up," I said exasperatedly.

Jack looked at me again, this time smirking. "The love of _what_, deary?"

I glared at him coldly. "Just walk."

After another few minutes, Jack announced that we were right next to the _Dauntless_. "I'm letting go, now," he warned. "Ready? One…two…three!" I took a deep breath as he and Will let go; the boat drifted lazily for the surface, and we swam upwards quickly.

Just as my lungs began to burn, my head broke the surface. I looked back towards shore; the streets had come alive with masses of troops. Our escape had apparently been discovered.

I looked around. Jack and Will had not resurfaced. "Jack?" I called out, feeling panic bubble in my stomach. "Will? Where are you guys?!"

In response, the water began to ripple, and Jack and Will popped up, coughing and sputtering. I let out the breath I'd been holding. "Oh, thank God…what happened?"

Jack nodded at Will, panting slightly. "Gettin' his foot out."

"Oh," I answered. "Seriously, Will, you need to be more careful. Now, c'mon." We swam towards the _Dauntless_ and started to climb up the back. Jack went first, climbing in rapid reminiscence of his capuchin counterpart. Will and I followed more slowly, checking behind us to see if the marines had noticed our presence. Twice I slipped and nearly fell; both times, Will had to keep a firm hold on my wrist to prevent me from dropping back into the sea.

Once we were all aboard, directly behind the helm, Jack drew his pistol, and Will and I unsheathed our swords. Will and I leapt over the banister to the main deck, where Gillette and several sailors were milling about. Jack took the more conventional method of walking down the steps, calling out, "Everyone stay calm! We are taking over the ship!" Will and I went to either side of that as the crew jumped in surprise.

"Aye! Avast!" Will shouted. The crew laughed, and Jack shot him a look.

I sighed deeply. "Now Will, when I said, 'talk like a pirate,' I meant, 'talk like a pirate _correctly_!'"

"This ship cannot be crewed by two men and a _woman_," Gillette scoffed. "You'll never make it out of the bay."

I pressed my blade against his neck. "Oh, dear, insulting women again, are we? Am I going to have to kick you, too?" The smile was wiped from Gillette's face.

Jack cocked his pistol and pointed it in between Gillette's eyes. "Son," he said, smiling, "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, savvy?" He let that sink in before nodding to me.

I stepped forward. "All of you get into that longboat now, and we won't run you through. No need to make a mess of such a fine vessel. Now move." No one did. "I said, _MOVE_!!!" There was a mad dash to the boat as the crew struggled to escape my pirate voice. Heh-heh-heh.

Once they were gone, Jack immediately took charge. "Right, then. Ol' Norry and his troops will be here any moment ,so we need to work fast. Kate, you stay here and keep a lookout. When that ship comes close, you give the signal, and then go hide behind those barrels." He pointed to three large barrels leaning against the wall of the captain's cabin. "Mr. Turner, make ready the sails. When you've done that, go get three ropes from that bunch over there and tie them good and tight to the mast – we're gonna be swingin' on 'em. Once you're done, go behind the barrels and wait for us."

"Why do we need to hide?" Will asked.

"Didn't I tell you not to ask stupid questions?" I broke in. Will frowned and hurried over to the pile of ropes, untangling three from the mass. That done, I leaned against the railing and stared out towards shore, squinting the bright sunlight.

Suddenly, I heard Jack's voice in my ear. "I take it you know the plan?"

I nodded. "Once all the Navy guys are over here, we swing over to the _Interceptor_ and get the heck outta here." I paused. "Is it okay if I mess with Norrington a little more? I don't think he's been humiliated enough."

"O' course, luv," he murmured absently. I tensed up. Uh-oh…here it comes. No sooner than I had thought that, Jack's arms snaked around my waist yet again, and his head rested against my shoulder.

I shoved him off. "Jack, we do not have time for your inane sexual innuendos. We have to get out of here!"

"Oh?" Jack said softly, turning me around to face him. "When _will_ we have time?"

"When hell freezes over," I replied, a little more harshly then I intended.

Jack placed a hand over his heart. "Oh, how I am wounded! You certainly are a stubborn one, Kate…ah, well, no matter." His voice dropped. "You can't fool me, luv. You want this just as much as I do. When the time comes…" He leaned a little closer. "…you will be unable to resist."

I felt my desire begin to flare again, and it took all the self-control I could muster to look away. "Don't you have a rudder chain to disable?"

"I suppose I do, don't I?" Jack murmured, twirling one of my bangs in his fingers. Giving me one last, seductive smile, he swaggered off to help Will, who seemed to have no idea how to get the sails working.

My breathing harsh and fast, I stared back out over the water. This is ridiculous! Jack can't keep trying to woo me at all the wrong moments. Hasn't he figured it out by now that I'm not some street-corner wench?

_But he's right_, a little voice in my head taunted._ Your resolve is weakening. You want him just as much as he wants you. Sooner or later, you'll let him take you._

I know, I answered. But not now. He has to realize that I'm not just some toy to play with and then forget. Until he does, I'm staying as far away from him as possible.

_But what if he already knows it? Do you really think he'd try so hard to get a garden-variety prostitute?_

Yes.

_Well, then maybe you don't know Jack as well as you think you do._

I was pulled out of my mental argument by a faint voice. "Sir, they've taken the _Dauntless_!" It was Gillette, calling back to Norrington from the longboat. "Commodore, they're taking the ship! Sparrow, Turner, and Cooper! They're taking the _Dauntless_!" I laughed and looked out to the docks. I couldn't see Norrington, but I knew he had his spyglass on us. Grinning, I lifted my hand and waved.

"What are you doing?!" I heard Will hiss.

I looked back at him, continuing to wave. "I'm screwing with Norrington's head, what else?" Will looked like he was about to argue, but thought better of it and kept up with the ropes.

Before long, I spotted the _Interceptor_ moving swiftly towards us. "Here they come!" I shouted, and raced for the barrels. After a few seconds, I was joined by Jack and Will. Now all we could do was wait.

After about three minutes, the crew of the _Interceptor_ began to swing over. Norrington and Groves laid down a gangplank and rushed over. "Search every cabin, every hull, down to the bilges!" Norrington ordered. Jack nodded, and we ducked out from behind the barrels and ran for the ropes. Jack and Will swung over without any problem, but as soon as my feet touched the railing of the _Interceptor_, I felt myself lose my balance. Right as I felt myself begin to fall, Jack was there, pulling me onto the deck and close against him. I was so freaked out, I didn't even bother to push him away.

"Thanks…again!" I said, panting slightly.

Jack smiled. "Anything for you, Kate."

Suddenly, the ship lurched forward; Will had cut the ropes tethering the two ships, and the _Interceptor _was on the move. Jack rushed to the helm, and I looked back at Norrington, who gaped disbelievingly at the ship before quickly recovering. "Sailors, back to the _Interceptor_! Now!" One of the sailors tried to swing back over, but the ship was already out of range.

I waited for the sailor to hit the water before calling out, "Many thanks, Commodore, for getting us ready to make way! A couple of uncivilized barbarians like us would've never been able to do it ourselves!" Norrington's face turned blood-red, and several marines began to fire at us. I ducked down, grinning.

Man, this so beats my old job.

* * *

Once we were safely out of Port Royal, Will sat down next to me and began sharpening his sword. "You look bored," he said kindly.

I shook my head. "Not bored…just thinking."

"What are you thinking about?" It was apparent that Will wanted to make friends – or at least, an ally.

I paused, reluctant to say. "My family," I answered finally. "I was wondering if they knew I was gone."

Will frowned. "How could they not know?"

I shrugged. "I left sort of…suddenly."

"Did you run away?"

"It's…complicated," I said, looking away. Up at the helm, I saw Jack straining to catch our conversation, a strange expression on his face.

"Do you miss your family?" Will asked hesitantly.

That one caught me off guard. "Well," I began slowly, "I haven't really had time to think about it much…but yeah, I guess I do miss them a little. And I'm worried, too; my brothers can't really survive without me."

"What about your parents?"

From the helm, I heard Jack cough loudly. When he saw me watching, he came down from the helm to tighten a nearby rope, patting me on the shoulder as he passed. I took a deep breath. "My parents died three years ago."

Will's face fell. "I'm sorry. That must have been so hard for you." I nodded in spite of myself, willing tears not to come to my eyes again. Will hesitated before adding, "My parents died, too. Well…actually, my mother, when I was ten. My father left England when I was seven."

I looked up at him. "I guess you…sort of had to deal with this earlier on, huh?" Oh, _wow_, Katie, that's brilliant.

Will paused in his sharpening and smiled sadly. "I suppose so." He didn't seem all that upset, because he continued to speak to me. "When I was a lad living in England, my mother raised me by herself. After she died, I came out here…looking for my father." His eyes lit up, as though he had suddenly remembered something.

"Is that so?" Jack interrupted, sounding slightly uninterested.

He began walking back to the helm, and Will stood up to follow him, his face set in anger. I sighed, stood up, and leaned back against the railing. "Aaaaand here we go," I muttered. "First argument-slash-bonding moment between Jack and Will."

I was ignored. "My _father_?" Will was saying loudly. "Bill Turner?" Jack didn't answer, and that made Will even more upset. "At the jail, it was only _after _you learnt my name that you agreed to help. Since that's what I wanted, I didn't press the matter!" Jack knelt down by the helm and began re-tying another piece of rope. Will stood over him, fuming. "I'm not a simpleton, Jack!"

"Really? Could've fooled me, the way you've been acting lately," I muttered.

"You knew my father," Will finished.

Jack stood up and looked at Will straight in the eye. "I knew 'im," Jack confirmed. "Probably one of the few who knew him as _William_ Turner. Everyone else just called him Bootstrap, or Bootstrap Bill."

"Bootstrap?" Will repeated, looking lost.

Jack ignored him and took the helm. "Good man. Good pirate. I swear you look just like him."

"No, he doesn't," I called up.

"What?"

"He doesn't look a thing like Bootstrap!"

Jack blinked, confused. "You know 'im?"

"Not personally," I answered, casting my eyes towards the medallion. "I just know who he is, and what he looks like, and all."

Jack nodded, catching on, but Will looked utterly baffled. "It's not true."

I raised an eyebrow. "How would you know whether I know or not?"

"No, no, I mean – argh." Will took a deep breath, struggling to sort this out. "He was a merchant sailor," he said finally. "A good, respectable man who obeyed the law!"

"He was a bloody pirate," Jack insisted. "A scallywag!"

Will, furious, drew his sword and pointed it at Jack's back. "My father was NOT a pirate!"

Jack didn't even turn around. "Put it away, son. 'S not worth you getting beat again."

"You didn't beat me!" Will said defensively. "You and Kate ignored the rules of engagement."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, _what_?" I interrupted. "Why am I being dragged into this? It's not my fault I'm better than you!"

Jack laughed. Will, however, didn't look amused. "In a fair fight," he went on, "I'd kill you both!"

I snorted. "Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Will."

"That's not much incentive for us to fight fair, then, is it?" Jack retorted. Before Will could think of an adequate comeback, Jack spun the wheel quickly, causing Will to get blasted with the rudder sail. The ship turned sharply, sending me sprawling onto the deck.

By the time I was on my feet again, muttering darkly, Will was dangling out over the water and Jack had his sword. "Now as long you're just hanging there," he began, causing me to groan loudly, "pay attention. The only rules that really matter are these: what a man_ can_ do, and what a man _can't_ do. For instance, you can accept that your father was a pirate, _and_ a good man, or you can't. The pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that someday." Jack looked over at me. "Kate, what's something you_ can_ do, right at this very moment?"

I thought for minute. "I could chop your head off for using such a terrible pun."

Jack's eyes widened. "Erm…very good." He cleared his throat loudly, and Will snorted with laughter. "Now, in response to that, what's something you _can't_ do?"

I sighed. "I can't captain this ship," I said in a bored voice.

"Exactly," Jack said, turning back to Will. "Now me, for example. I can let you drown…but I _can't_ crew this ship into Tortuga all by me onsie, savvy?"

"And where am I in this situation?" I asked.

"You? Oh, you're…erm…ah…" Jack smiled weakly. "You know what? Forget I said anything."

I nodded approvingly. "Good answer."

Jack cleared his throat again. "So." He spun the wheel again, causing the rudder sail to fly back and Will to hit the deck hard on his behind. Jack pointed the sword at him. "Can you sail under the command of a pirate?" He flipped the sword so that the handle was facing Will. "Or can you not?"

Will hesitated and looked at me for support. I smiled and climbed up to the helm. "You know, Will," I began, crouching down beside him, "you never really can tell what you can or can't do…unless you give it a whirl to start with."

Will hesitated for a moment longer, and then took his sword back. "Tortuga?" he said slowly.

Jack grinned. "Tortuga."

Will looked thoughtful for a moment, and then stood up, nodded to me, and walked with as much dignity as he could below deck.

"Think I should go after him?" I asked once he had gone.

Jack shook his head. "He'll be fine. He simply needs to come to terms with his family tree, as it were."

"Sure hope so," I muttered, and returned to my place by the railing. "When do you think we'll make port?"

"Most likely by nightfall," Jack said. He left the helm, walked down the steps, and came to face me. I tensed up, bracing myself for another flirtatious attack, but Jack said softly, "I need to talk to you, luv. Sit down for a minute." I frowned, but did as I was ordered. Jack sat down as well, looking slightly flustered. "Have you…ever been to Tortuga?"

"No," I answered. "Why do you ask?"

Jack looked even more flustered. "Well, uh…I feel I should tell you, Kate, that although Tortuga is quite the wondrous town…it can be dangerous…especially for a…" He broke off, waving his hand around vaguely.

"For what?" I prompted.

"For…for a person…who is…not…a man?" Jack finished lamely.

Okaaaay. "I see," I answered, nodding slowly. "Well, Jack, if you're the worst Tortuga has to offer, I think I can handle it."

Jack shook his head. "I'm not, Kate. Compared to some of those other inhabitants of Tortuga, I'm as gentlemanly as young William." He leaned in a bit closer and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Kate, in Tortuga, if you are a woman, and if you are alone, you are in danger from any and all pirates you come across, drunken or otherwise. You yourself are at a particular disadvantage because…"

"Because what?"

Jack looked more embarrassed than ever. "Well…because you're very pretty," he said curtly.

I felt a smile tugging at my mouth. "Thank you, Jack." I paused. "And I understand what you mean. I'm in danger from all sorts of drunk and lustful pirates. I know full well what I'm up against in Tortuga."

Jack looked relieved. "Excellent. So, Kate, as your Captain, I'm giving you an order, and you _must _obey it: do _not_, under any circumstances, catch yourself alone. You are to stay with me at all times, and don't lose your sword, savvy?"

I nodded. "Got it. And don't worry, Jack." I smiled. "The question isn't whether I'm prepared for Tortuga; it's whether_ Tortuga_ is prepared for _me_."

Jack smiled. "One can only hope."

* * *

Hope you enjoyed that! Happy Holidays, everyone! 


	9. Not All Its Cracked Up to Be

Disclaimer: I do not own PotC or any of its characters. Anything that wasn't in the movie most likely belongs to me.

* * *

As Jack predicted, we reached Tortuga just as the sun sank below the horizon. Even from a distance, I could still hear the crack of gunshots and the yells of drunken townspeople.

We were preparing a longboat to go ashore when the wind changed direction, and a powerful reek washed over me. I gasped and clamped a hand over my mouth and nose, coughing. "Bloody hell, what _is _that?"

Jack looked at me curiously. "What?"

"_That_," I answered, waving my hand around. "That stink. What is it?" Of course_ he_ wouldn't be able to smell it.

Jack frowned and sniffed himself embarrassedly. Satisfied, he turned to me. "_That_, luv, is the smell of the greatest town you'd ever hope to see in your lifetime."

"Delightful," I grumbled, rolling my eyes. Honestly, I've been to sewage plants that smelled better than this.

A loud, hacking cough from behind us signaled Will's arrival above deck. "What's that?" he wheezed, fanning the air around him.

"Tortuga, apparently," I replied, climbing into the boat. Will followed, looking disgusted.

Jack came in last and began lowering the boat into the water below. "Trust me, mates," he assured us. "It may smell bad now, but before long, you'll live off it." Will and I exchanged horrified glances.

All I'm saying is: the rum had better be good.

The smell was even worse in the town, and Will nearly got his head smashed in by an airborne water bucket. I myself had to duck twice to avoid getting shot. Jack, naturally, walked through the chaos without so much as a scratch.

"So," Will said, casually observing a catfight between two heavily made-up whores, "Tortuga in all its glory."

I nodded sagely. "Aye, this is probably the _only_ pirate port in the Caribbean, so naturally things are bound to get rough."

"O' course, luv," Jack interrupted. "That's the fun of it, eh?"

"Yes, but all in all, it depends on _how_ rough," I retorted. "And this is probably a little _too_ rough for greenhorn pirates such as Will and me. Or just me," I added quickly at Will's mutinous glare. What's wrong with being a pirate, anyway?

"True," Jack admitted as we stepped into the square. Here, the gunshots, fights, and drunks seemed to be the greatest. "But more importantly, it is indeed a sad life that has never breathed deep this sweet, proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga, savvy?"

I coughed. "Actually, I doubt the course of my life would've been altered by going nowhere near this bloody town."

Jack thought for a moment. "If you had never came here, then you wouldn't have been able to join young Master Turner and myself on the adventure of a lifetime."

"Touché," I grumbled, coughing again.

Jack snatched a walking stick from a passing drunk. "What do you think?" he asked Will.

Will met his gaze evenly. "It'll linger."

"Far too long," I groaned, causing Will to laugh.

Jack was undaunted. "I'll tell you, mates. If every town in the world were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted."

"Oh, really?" I asked, stepping over a man who had passed out in the middle of the street. "Because I could think of one."

Jack blinked. "Who?"

I was about to answer when Jack spotted a big-bosomed wench with red hair a few shades darker than my own. A grin spread over his face. "Scarlett!" he called, and rushed over to her.

Will and I hung back, watching with mild interest. "What are you grinning at?" Will asked, confused.

My smile widened. "Three…two…one…"

SLAP!

I laughed as Scarlett strutted off. "Strike one."

Jack looked back at us, looking stunned. "Not sure I deserved that." He straightened up to see another wench, this time blonde, smiling at him. "Giselle," he said warmly, grinning again.

Giselle nodded in the direction Scarlett had gone. "'O was she?"

"What?"

SLAP!

I laughed even harder. "Strike two!"

Jack straightened up again, rubbing his cheek. "I _may_ have deserved that." Before either Will or I could say anything, Jack had spotted woman that I didn't recognize – a brunette wearing a frilly pink dress – and was swaggering off in her direction.

"I'll go get him," Will said, walking after him.

I started to follow, but a pair of rough hands grabbed me and spun me around, and I suddenly found myself staring into the face of a toothless, leering pirate. He was a tall fellow, and his faded clothing barely covered his rum-belly. "Why, 'ello there, beau'iful," he rumbled. I smelled rum on his breath. "Wha's a nice girl like you doin' out 'ere all alone?"

I looked around; Jack and Will were nowhere to be seen, and this guy was holding my arms too tightly for me to grab my sword. _Oh, shit_. "Leave me alone," I said loudly, struggling to free myself.

The drunk laughed and tightened his grip. "Aw, c'mon now, darlin', I ain't gonna 'urt you. Let's you an' me go 'ave some fun, eh?"

_Double shit. _I was preparing to aim a kick at him when the loud _click_ of a cocked gun reached my ears. "Let her go," Jack said dangerously, his gun pointed right at the drunk's forehead. I looked at him in surprise; I had never seen that kind of anger on Jack's face before – or anyone else's, for that matter. Neither had the drunk, apparently, for he immediately released me and scampered off into an alley.

I brushed myself off, breathing hard. "Thanks, Jack," I said softly, struggling to keep my composure.

His face softened and he lowered his gun. "Any time, luv." He gestured to the alley where the drunk at disappeared. "Now _that_ is exactly what I was talking about. I doubt he'll be the last vile, lecherous drunk we'll see tonight, and I might not be so close next time, so you need to be careful."

"I will," I assured him, deciding not to tell him that I was just about to free myself when he showed up.

Jack nodded. "Good. Well, I think that for your continued safety…" He wrapped an arm possessively around me and glared at the passersby, who immediately quickened their pace.

I pulled his arm off me. "Thanks, but no thanks. I think they got the message." I looked around. "Hey, what happened to –?"

SLAP!

I jumped and looked behind Jack. Will was coming back, rubbing his cheek in pain. "She gave me a message for you," he answered our puzzled glances, gesturing to the retreating wench.

I snorted. "So, I'll take that as a strike two-and-a-half. All right, let's get going." Jack glared one last time into the alley before quickly taking the lead.

"We should escape this wretched pit as quickly as possible," he said after a moment.

Will's brow furrowed in confusion. "With a crew?" he reminded, oblivious to the scene that had just taken place.

"Ah, yes." Jack seemed more relaxed now that his mind was off my attacker. "Well, it just so happens that you two know the man who knows the man who knows the finest sailors in all Tortuga."

Will and I exchanged a glance. "That's a little too broad for my taste," I said cynically. Jack didn't answer, but instead tossed the walking stick to Will, who gave it to a passing bystander, who promptly hit his companion over the head with it. Chuckling, I followed Jack and Will into a small, run-down shack.

It was quieter inside, the silence broken only by the occasional snort of a pig. The overpowering reek of Tortuga had been replaced by the more tolerable odor of pigs. Stepping up to the edge of the pen, I saw three pigs sleeping, along with a dirty, drunken old salt – Joshamee Gibbs. Glancing over my shoulder, I spotted Jack and Will pick up two large buckets of water and lug them over to stand next to me. Jack looked at Gibbs for a brief moment before dumping the contents of his bucket into the pen.

Gibbs' eyes snapped open and he spat out a mouthful of water as the pigs around him snorted with surprise and displeasure. "Curse ya fer breathin', ya slack-jawed idiot!" Gibbs shouted, brandishing a pocketknife. Jack said nothing, but only looked at him patiently. I cleared my throat loudly, and Will took a step back. Slowly, Gibbs' eyes cleared and he pocketed the knife, grinning wide. "Mother's love! Jack! You should know better than to wake a man when he's sleepin'…'s bad luck."

"Ah, fortunately I know how to counter it," Jack replied, tossing the bucket into the corner. "The man who did the waking buys the man who was sleeping a drink. The man who was sleeping drinks it while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking."

It took a second for Gibbs to work that out. "Aye, that'll about do it!" Jack grinned and hoisted him to his feet.

As Gibbs stepped over the rail, Will followed Jack's lead and emptied his bucket onto Gibbs' head. "Blast, I'm already awake!" Gibbs shouted, shaking himself.

"That was for the smell," Will explained. Gibbs opened his mouth, thought better of it, and nodded reluctantly.

"Um, yeah," I said after a moment. "Well, seeing as I am _not_ in the possession of a large bucket of water, I think I'll start the conversation with, 'How do you do, Mr. Gibbs?'"

Gibbs smiled, but then looked confused. "How'd ye know me name, lass?"

My smile disappeared. "Um…"

"Well, I told her, o' course," Jack interrupted, his gaze drifting to my medallion.

"Ah," Gibbs said, nodding. "Well then, it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss…er…"

"Cooper," I answered. "Kate Cooper." I extended my hand, and Gibbs shook it heartily.

"Alright, alright, enough pleasantries," Jack cut in. "Let's have ourselves a drink!"

"Aye!" Gibbs shouted, and the four of us trooped out of the pig sty and into the adjacent building – a large, brightly-lit tavern with the words, "The Faithful Bride" hanging above the doorway. How ironic.

The tavern was packed with pirates and wenches alike, fighting, gambling, or just simply drinking. A small band played the famous "Two Hornpipes" over in the corner. Gibbs stumbled over to a table by the back wall, and Jack went to the bar to get drinks. Will and I leaned against a pole by the table, watching the other patrons.

"You okay, Will?" I asked. "You look a little on edge."

"Just thinking," he answered curtly.

"About Miss Swann?" Will was silent, so I pressed forward. "Look, I know things look bleak, but when you think about it, it could be worse?"

"How?" Will asked bitterly.

"Oh, don't be like that. After all, we know where the _Pearl_ is headed, we have a ship, and by morning, we'll have a crew." Will nodded, looking a little brighter.

Jack came back from the bar, holding two pewter mugs. He paused as he passed us, murmuring, "Keep a sharp eye." We nodded, and Jack moved on to the table. I sidled around the edge of the pole, straining to hear the conversation over the noise.

Jack sat down and held out the mugs. Gibbs reached for one, but Jack pulled them back. Gibbs tried again, but Jack began waving the mugs around, moving them in circles, etcetera, before finally holding out the smaller mug. Gibbs accepted it gratefully and took a big gulp out of it.

"Just the one," Jack warned.

"Best make it last, then," Gibbs consented, and reluctantly took a smaller sip. "Now…what –?"

Jack motioned for him to stop talking; he had spotted me. "Kate, I would greatly prefer it if you keep your eye on the door rather than me." He smiled. "Not that I can blame you, o' course."

Will, Gibbs, and I simultaneously rolled our eyes. "Oh, come on, Jack," I said. "You know you can trust me, and I'm not going to –"

Jack made a shooing motion with one hand. I scowled but moved back over to Will, making sure to keep in earshot.

"Now," Gibbs was saying, what's the nature o' this venture o' yourn?"

Jack hesitated – either that, or he paused for dramatic effect. Most likely the latter. "I'm going after the _Black Pearl_."

There was a loud choking sound. I glanced over my shoulder to see Gibbs coughing, as expected. "I know where it's gonna be, and I'm gonna take it," Jack went on.

Gibbs slowly shook his head. "Jack…'s a fool's errand. Why, you know better than me the tales of the _Black Pearl_."

"That's why I know what Barbossa is up to," Jack pointed out. "All I need is a crew."

Gibbs was unconvinced. "From what I hear tell of Captain Barbossa, he's not a man to suffer fools, nor strike a bargain with one."

"Well then, I'd say it's a very good thing I'm not a fool then, eh?"

"Prove me wrong! What makes you think Barbossa'll give up his ship to you?"

Jack lowered his voice. "Let's just say it's a matter of _leverage_."

Will looked over his shoulder at them, looking both alarmed and suspicious. I looked back at them as well, shooting an accusatory glare at Jack.

Gibbs, of course, had not been there when Will sprung us from jail, so he naturally looked baffled. Jack nodded over in our direction. When Gibbs still looked confused, Jack tried all sorts of "subtle" head motions to get Gibbs to understand.

Finally, Gibbs asked, "The girl?"I jumped. _Me_? Didn't I just tell him my name was Cooper?

"No, not the girl," Jack answered, sounding impatient.

Gibbs tried again. "The kid?" I looked over at Will, who was struggling to ignore a rather chubby-looking wench. I cleared my throat, and the girl slunk away disappointedly.

I looked back at Jack, who was nodding. "That is the child of Bootstrap Bill Turner. His _only_ child, savvy?"

Gibbs' eyes widened. "Is he, now?"

"You know we can hear you, right?" I interrupted, feeling my temper rising.

Both pirates jumped and lowered their voices. "Leverage, says you," Gibbs murmured thoughtfully. "I think I feel a change in the wind, says I. I'll find us a crew – there's bound to be some sailors on this rock as crazy as you."

I snorted and shook my head. Impossible.

"One can only hope," Jack replied, raising his mug. "Take what ya can!"

"Give nothing back!" Gibbs finished, knocking his mug against Jack's.

As the mugs slammed onto the table, I suddenly felt cool metal pressed against my back. _Oh, triple shit_. Turning around, I saw the drunk who had threatened me before. His sword was drawn, and he had that same lustful sneer on his face. Behind him were six or seven other men, with identical weapons and sneers.

"'Ello again, beau'iful," the drunken man slurred. "Nice t' see ya again." I gripped the hilt of my sword, and the drunk laughed. "Aw, there's no need fer that. I told ya before, I ain't gonna hurt ya…'nless, o' course, ya don't gimme what I want." He raised his sword to my throat.

Five of the men suddenly leapt forward. Looking behind me, I saw two of them grip Will's arms and hold them tightly behind his back. The other three moved to form a blockade between myself and the table. As I watched, Jack drew his sword and began to single-handedly take on all three men, the same burning hatred in his eyes. I vaguely noticed that the music had stopped.

I turned back to the drunk, feeling myself began to panic. "And what is it that you want?"

The drunk smirked and leaned in so close, our faces could have been centimeters apart. "I want _you_, darlin', and I always gets what I want." Before he could make another move, I made my decision; in one quick, fluid movement, I unsheathed my sword and sliced it into his chest.

The drunk's eyes widened and he looked down at the sword sticking out of his chest. He looked back up at me, stunned…and then the light died in his eyes and he fell to the ground.

Oh, my God, I killed him…he's dead, and it was me who did it…

"Well done, lassie!" Somewhat called from the back.

Well done? _Well done_? This man was drunk! He wasn't in his right mind, and what did I do? I killed him! The air around me seemed to thicken, and I was choking on it and the stench of the drunk's blood…I had to get out of here. Barely thinking, I raced for the door and kicked it open, vaguely hearing Jack and Will calling for me to come back. I slammed the door shut and took off at a run, hardly seeing where I was going. All I could hear was the jumbled mass of thoughts in my head: _He's dead…you killed him…his blood is on your hands…_I choked back a scream and ran faster.

When I finally began to see straight again, I noticed I was standing on a beach, a little ways away from the docks. Against the moonlight, I saw the faded outline of the _Interceptor_, waiting patiently in the bay. It seemed to be mocking me. Every whisper of the waves seemed to be saying, _"It's your fault…your fault…"_

My knees suddenly buckled and I collapsed onto the sand, tears gathering in my eyes. Bile rose into my mouth, and I spat into the ocean. I curled up on the ground, light-headed. What have I done? I killed someone who was drunk, someone who wasn't in their right mind! Back home, I would've been put in prison for life! And what would Mom and Dad say?

Mom and Dad…

"Oy! This way, lads! I think I've spotted her!"

I raised my head. Standing on the edge of the beach was a dirty-looking man in worn-out clothing – Gibbs. One hand gripped tightly to a large bucket, and the other was raised into the air, signaling where he was.

"KATE!"

"_Kate!_"

I looked down the beach and saw two dark figures racing toward me. Feeling light-headed again, I rested my head back on the ground and closed my eyes.

I don't think ten seconds had passed before I felt a pair of arms wrap around me and heard a soft voice whispering in my ear. "Kate? Can you hear me, luv?"

I opened my eyes and blinked a few times. "Jack?" I whispered, my voice sounding hoarse and far away. For a moment, everything was blurred, but then Jack's face slowly slid into focus. Feeling tears come to my eyes again, I leaned my head against his chest and whispered, "I killed him."

"I know, luv, but you didn't have a choice. Now, look at me Kate…go on, look at me…atta girl. That man back there was threatening you. You did exactly what you were supposed to in that situation: you fought back. And besides, luv, you can't survive being a pirate if you don't kill a few people here and there, savvy?"

"I know, Jack, but…" I struggled to put my thoughts into words. "He was _drunk_! He wasn't thinking straight!"

"Ssh," Jack interrupted, pressing a finger to my lips. "I think he was, Katie. After all, he had the sense to get a sword, and to find enough men who also had swords that we were outnumbered two-to-one."

I blinked. I hadn't thought of that. Feeling slightly better, I wiped my eyes and whispered, "Does it always feel like this?"

Jack shook his head. "Trust me, luv, it gets easier. All right, now…up you get." Jack stood up and helped me to my feet. "Can you stand?"

"Yeah, I think," I said softly, letting go of Jack's hand. I swayed slightly but didn't fall.

Jack nodded approvingly. "Good. Here, take a swig of this." He held out a bottle of rum. I stared at it for a moment, but obediently took the bottle and pressed it to my lips. Cool, sweet liquid flowed into my mouth and down my throat, leaving a slightly burning feeling on my tongue. I coughed and felt my head began to clear. Looking around, I saw Will standing next to Gibbs, holding on tightly to a sword.

He smiled when he saw me looking at him. "Are you alright, Kate?"

I nodded. "I think so."

Will looked relieved. "That's good. Oh, here's your sword." He handed it to me. The blade was completely cleaned of blood, and it shone in the moonlight. I tucked it into my sash as Will went on, "That sword is beautiful…who made it?"

I felt my blood freeze. "Uh…"

"Oh, let her alone, Will," Gibbs interrupted. "The lass has had a rough night. She needs to rest." Will nodded, looking slightly disappointed.

"Well said, Mr. Gibbs," Jack said approvingly. "And now, if I could borrow that bucket…" Gibbs smiled slyly and obediently handed the bucket over. Jack nodded his thanks and promptly dumped the bucket onto my head.

I yelped with shock as cold water – at least, I _hoped _it was water – splashed all over me, causing to shiver in the cold night air. I wiped the water about of my eyes and glared daggers at Jack. "What the hell was that for?!"

Jack met my gaze evenly. "If memory serves, Miss Cooper, you directly went against not one, but _two _orders given to you by your captain. Not only did you go off by yourself, you also left your sword behind. This sort of behavior is unacceptable and cannot go unpunished. Savvy?" His eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Aye, captain," I grumbled, wringing the water out of my hair as Will and Gibbs laughed. Bloody pirates!

* * *

The next morning found us standing on a dock, looking with interest at the crew Gibbs had compiled – about a dozen men in varying states of health and hygiene.

"Feast yer eyes, Cap'n," Gibbs said proudly. "All of them faithful hands before the mast, every man worth his salt. And crazy to boot," he added in an undertone.

No one spoke for a minute. "Well, if you want to take my word for it," I said finally, "I am _nearly_ positive they'll get us through this adventure."

There were some mutterings among the crew, and Jack asked, "Nearly?"

I smiled at him. "Of course, that's if you want to take my word for it. You're the captain, after all."

Jack smiled proudly. "So I am, luv, so I am."

Will didn't seem as sure about the crew as I was. "So, _this_ is your able-bodied crew?"

Jack glowered at him, and then approached Cotton. "You, sailor!"

"Cotton, sir," Gibbs said immediately.

"Mr. Cotton, do you have the courage and fortitude to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death?"

I whistled admiringly. "I bet that took practice." Once again, I was ignored.

"Mr. Cotton!" Jack said sharply after a moment. "Answer, man!"

"Uh, he's a mute, sir," Gibbs explained. "Poor devil had his tongue cut out –" Cotton opened his mouth to illustrate, and Jack stuck out his tongue, disgusted. I cleared my throat and averted my eyes. "– so, he trained the parrot to talk for him."

"How?" I asked.

Gibbs frowned. "What?"

"If he can't talk, how could he train the parrot to –?"

"No one's yet figured how," Gibbs answered weakly.

"Uh-huh."

Jack stepped to the right and gave the parrot a strange look. "Mr. Cotton's…parrot…same question."

"RAWK! Wind in the sails! Wind in the sails!" the parrot squawked.

"Mostly, we figure that means 'yes,'" Gibbs clarified. Cotton nodded.

"Of course it does!" Jack said, and turned back to Will. "Satisfied?"

Will thought for a moment. "Well, you've proved they're mad."

"Aren't we all?" I pointed out.

"I'm not."

I snorted. "Famous last words."

"And what's the benefit for us?" a voice called out.

Everyone jumped, excluding me, who saw it coming. Jack slowly walked down the line and stopped a figure wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat. Jack cautiously removed the hat, revealing long, raven-colored hair.

Jack smiled warmly. "Anamaria."

SLAP!

"And strike three, he's out!" I exclaimed, laughing. "Good show, mate!" Ana smiled proudly.

"I suppose you didn't deserve that one either?" Will said sarcastically.

"No, that one I deserved," Jack corrected.

Ana nodded. "You stole my boat!"

"Actually –"

SLAP!

"Borrowed!" Jack said quickly. "Borrowed without permission, but with every intention of giving it back."

"BUT YOU DIDN'T!" Ana shouted.

"You'll get another one!" Jack promised.

Ana pointed at him threateningly. "I will."

"A better one," Will interrupted.

Jack nodded. "A better one!"

I pointed to the _Interceptor_. "That one."

Jack frowned. "What one?" He looked at the _Interceptor_, his eyes wide. "_That one_?!" he hissed angrily.

I kept eye contact. "Yes, that one! It's either that or the _Pearl_!"

Jack winced and turned back to Ana. He held his hand out towards the _Interceptor_. "Aye! That one! What say you?"

"Aye!" the entire bunch shouted and began making their way down the pier.

Gibbs approached us, looking horrified. "No, no, no, no, no, it's frightful bad luck to have a woman on board." He looked at me coolly. "Let alone two."

"What was that?" I growled, resting a hand against the hilt of my sword. Gibbs flinched.

Jack stepped between us, looking sternly at us both. "It'd be far worse not to have them, however."

Gibbs' expression didn't change. "Cap'n, I've seen Miss Anamaria sail and fight and such, but this lass –"

I opened my mouth to retaliate, but Jack beat me to it. "This lass what?"

Gibbs withered. "Well, er…she doesn't seem to be an experienced pirate, if you get my drift."

"Neither am I," Will cut in. No one answered.

"True, she hasn't been a pirate for very long, but I've always said that when it comes to learning, practice greatly surpasses simple theory."

"But Cap'n –"

"Kate!" Jack shouted suddenly, surprising us. "Do you have the courage and fortitude to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death?"

I nodded quickly. "Aye-aye, Captain!"

Jack nodded approvingly and turned back to Gibbs. "There, you see? She's as ready, willing, and able as the rest of the crew. I don't have a problem with her, and you shouldn't either, savvy?"

"Aye, Cap'n," Gibbs answered meekly. He and Will followed the crew to the two longboats.

Jack began to follow, but I stopped him. "Jack, what if he's right? What if I don't have what it takes?"

Jack stepped closer to me and placed both his hands on my shoulders, a serious expression on his face. "Don't say that, Kate. Don't even _think_ it. I've been with you for longer than they have, and I've noticed that you're a fierce fighter, a good sailor, and above all, a fast learner. You've proven yourself to be a fine pirate." He brushed one of my bangs away and whispered in my ear, "I'd never set sail without you, luv." I felt my heartbeat pick up and my breathing begin to quicken. Jack smiled, turned, and followed his newfound crew back to the ship.

That guy is the best pirate ever.

* * *

Too, true, too true:)

I'm not sure when my next update will be, as my schedule is packed to the brim. I'll try to post the next chapter early next weekend.


	10. You Can't Resist

I bet you guys are all wondering why I took so long to update, and why I haven't answered any reviews. Well, this past week, I joined my school's marching band on a trip to Florida to play at the Gator Bowl! It was a lot of fun, but I'm really exhausted, which also counts for this story's lateness. But to make it up to you, this chapter will be the longest yet, with plenty of original scenes and maybe even a little more Jack x Kate. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own PotC or any of its characters. Anything that wasn't in the movie most likely belongs to me.

* * *

Later that morning, I was beginning to doubt Jack's words. I had worked on the ship all morning and had done nearly twice as much work as the other sailors, and yet I still felt like my presence on the _Interceptor_ was completely unnecessary. There was so much to learn, and although the crew was very kind and eager to help, Gibbs still stared at me like I was a huge mistake. Despite denials from the crew, and insistences that I _was_ being useful, I excused myself from work early to stare out over the sea. I thought of Jeff and Ross, and for the second time in two days, I wondered if they had noticed my absence yet. _I bet _they_ want me around_, I thought bitterly.

The sound of footsteps suddenly broke me out of my thoughts. "You seem troubled, luv. You're not still thinking about last night, are you?"

I turned to face Jack's concerned gaze. "No, it's not that…in fact, there's nothing wrong, Jack. Nothing at all."

Jack was unconvinced. "Is that so? Well, Kate, I was recently told by young Master Turner that you were feeling a bit…superfluous."

"were you, now?" I looked towards the other side of the ship to glare at Will, who was learning to tie a sturdy knot with the help of Cotton. Will noticed my angry look, winced, shrugged helplessly, and averted his gaze.

"Kate," Jack prompted gently. I tore my gaze away from Will and looked back at him. "Is this true?" he asked softly.

I opened my mouth to deny it, but instead just shrugged. "I don't know…I know you told me that you needed me on the _Interceptor_, but…I'm just so far behind the other sailors, and Gibbs keeps giving me these strange looks…I'm sorry, Jack, but I just don't feel welcome here."

Jack was quiet for a moment before answering. "Oh, so it's Gibbs, is it? Ungrateful swine…and after you treated him so politely, too…" His eyes were twinkling, but I caught a flash of seriousness behind them. "I'll have another word with him later. And don't worry Kate – you _are _needed here."

I shook my head. "It's pretty hard to see how."

Jack smiled. "Well, I'd say that Master Turner needs you to help save his dearly beloved, but more importantly, I need you to get back my ship. I also need you around to keep the crew in line. You're an excellent fighter, and have natural leadership skills – which, coincidentally, may be why some of the crew may be a bit wary of you." Jack's eyes suddenly glazed over. "O' course, there are other reasons why I need you on this ship, luv. Many others…" he murmured, moving to place an arm around me.

I suddenly felt very, very tired. "Jack, please," I said wearily. "Please stop it. How many times do I have to say this? I. Am. Not. Interested."

Jack, however, must have seen the truth on my face. He smiled and gently brushed my bangs back from my face. "Oh, I think you are, luv."

"I am not!" I protested.

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are."

"No, I…" _Dammit. _I took a deep breath. "Look, Jack, it doesn't matter whether I'm interested or not. You can't just keep trying to attract me; you're the captain, for God's sake! And like I already told you, we need to focus on getting back the _Pearl_."

Jack chuckled and ran an arm down my side. Satisfied with my shudder of desire, he murmured softly, "You've presented a good many arguments on why we shouldn't do this, luv. But I know…I know you don't truly mean any of them." He pressed his forehead against mine, and I felt his hot breath on my face. My breath caught in my throat, and Jack smiled. "You're not fooling anyone, luv…not even yourself."

I swallowed hard and turned my head away from him, my eyes squeezed tightly shut. "Jack, no," I whispered. "You're right, Jack. I want this…I want it so badly…" I reached up and placed a hand to Jack's cheek. His deep brown eyes stared back at me intensely. I took a deep breath and turned away from him, allowing only for him to keep his arms around me. "But I can't, Jack…I just can't." I felt tears brimming at the corners of my eyes.

"Why not?" Jack whispered, burying his face in my neck.

I couldn't keep myself from looking at him any longer. "Because…because there's something coming…in the future…and if I start to love you…then I'll…I don't think I'll be able to –"

"Shh," Jack whispered, pressing a finger against my lips. My skin tingled from his touch. Jack slowly slid his finger from my lips to just beneath my eye, wiping away a tear. "I think, luv," he murmured, drawing me closer to him, "that you've already begun to fall in love."

I pressed my head against his chest, torn by indecision. I suppose he's right…I _know _he's right…but Elizabeth…even after her marriage, he was still in love with her…I can't let myself be hurt like that…never again…but at the same time, I felt a strange feeling, like maybe this was what was supposed to be happening.

_Destiny__ now__ brings it into your own hands…_but _what_ destiny? What am I supposed to do?

"Jack, please," I breathed, knowing full well that my pleading was empty.

Jack slowly tipped my chin upwards so that we had eye contact once more. "Are you scared, Kate?" he said softly, his voice hoarse and longing. In spite of my better judgment, I felt myself nodding slowly. The corner of Jack's mouth curved upwards. "Don't be…you don't have to worry about anything…here, let me start…" I closed my eyes and felt his lips brush against mine, felt his hand reaching up to my face…

A clap of thunder suddenly rang across the sky. I jumped and felt Jack pull away from me. My eyes snapped open, and I looked over my shoulder out towards the horizon. Dark clouds gathered at the skyline, already blocking out the late-morning sun. As I watched, the clouds were illuminated with lightning and a cold wind blew over me.

"There's a storm on the way," Jack observed, pulling me close again. "Perhaps we should…make preparations…" He broke off, his faces inches from mine yet again.

I took a deep, steadying breath and shoved him off of me. He staggered backwards and stared at me, his eyes reflected with shock, disappointment, and confusion. I looked away, my closed eyelids unable to stop my tears. "I'm sorry," I choked out, and raced below deck and onto my hammock, sobbing.

This is madness…I can't go on like this…I know now, I know that I love him, but how can I know if he truly does love me? What if this is just desire, just like all the other girls he's known? And Elizabeth, what the hell about Elizabeth? Questions and conflicts swam in and out of my head for what seemed like hours as the thunder drew even closer…

"ON DECK, ALL HANDS! RUN OUT THAT TOPSAIL AND SECURE THE RUDDER!"

Jack's voice jolted me awake. The ship was rocking hard, and the thunder was louder than ever. Bright flashes of light even lit up the space below deck. Jumping to my feet, I staggered over to the stairs and climbed up.

Right from my first step onto the deck, I knew we were in for it. The wind buffeted my face and hair, almost knocking me off my feet, and rain pelted down by the gallon. The deck was alive with movement, the crew struggling to get us out of the storm. A flash of lightning illuminated the deck, and I spotted Gibbs and Will struggling to secure the mainsail. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jack outlined against the wheel…no time for that, now…

"Right, then," I said solidly, squaring my shoulders. If I ever wanted to prove myself to the crew, this was the one and only opportune moment. I took a deep breath and sloshed through the flooded deck over to Gibbs and Will. "WHAT DO YOU NEED ME TO DO?!" I shouted over the roar of the wind.

Gibbs looked relieved. "HELP WILL HOLD DOWN THE MAINSAIL! I NEED TO HELP THE REST O' THE CREW!" I nodded and took the rope from him, shooting Will an encouraging smile.

I didn't have much to smile about before long; the storm intensified, and it was all Will and I could do not to let go of the rope. The mainsail struggled against us, filled by the howling winds, and the rope was so slippery, we could barely hold on. The rain stung our faces, and we were nearly bowled over four times by colossal waves.

It could have been several hours, or only a few minutes later that Will called, "HOW CAN WE SAIL TO AN ISLAND THAT NOBODY CAN FIND WITH A COMPASS THAT DOESN'T WORK?!"

"JUST BECAUSE THE COMPASS DOESN'T POINT NORTH, DOESN'T MEAN IT'S BROKEN!"

"BUT HOW CAN JACK TELL WHERE WE'RE GOING IF THE COMPASS DOESN'T POINT NORTH?!"

"WELL, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO FIND NORTH, WE'RE TRYING TO FIND ISLA DE MUERTA!"

The wind suddenly changed direction, and I heard Gibbs shout above the storm, "WE SHOULD DROP CANVAS, SIR!"

"SHE CAN HOLD A BIT LONGER!" Jack's voice answered.

"WHAT'S IN YER HEAD THAT'S PUT YOU IN SUCH A FINE MOOD, CAP'N?"

I strained to hear Jack's quieter reply. "We're catching up!"

I lost all sense of time after that, but the storm must have gone on all afternoon and well into the night. I ran all over deck, doing tasks set down by various crewmates: securing the sails, tying down the cannons, holding a rope steady while someone climbed the mast. And even though the work was nearly impossible and the storm refused to let up, the look of gratitude on my crewmates' faces kept me going. The last thing I remembered was flopping down into my hammock with the rest of the crew as the tossing of the ship slowed to a gentle rocking and the skies began to clear.

* * *

"Cap'n, I'm not sure if this is a good idea…"

"Nonsense, Gibbs. I see absolutely no harm in checking up on our dear Miss Cooper."

I reluctantly opened my eyes, wincing at the soreness of my muscles. I could tell it was morning, for the hammocks around me were empty and I could hear many sets of footsteps from the deck. For a moment, I wondered why I'd woken up, but then I heard Jack and Gibbs whispering from somewhere behind me. I closed my eyes again as their voices came closer.

"Cap'n, remember how I said that it's bad luck to wake a man while he's sleepin'?" Gibbs asked.

"Aye," Jack answered, sounding a bit absentminded.

"Well, it be _worse_ luck to wake up a woman!"

"It's a good thing I won't wake her up, then," Jack retorted coolly.

"But what if she does?"

"Surprisingly, there are better ways to ward off bad luck than drinking." Oh, God, I can only wonder what those could be.

The footsteps came closer, and I felt warm breath on my face yet again. "Look at her, Gibbs," I heard Jack murmur. "She's beautiful, isn't she?" I felt myself smiling in spite of everything.

"Aye, Cap'n, she's quite pretty," Gibbs agreed. "Though it seemed yesterday that she didn't seem to take kindly to your…_advances_."

Jack was silent for a long minute. "In due time, Gibbs. In due time." I felt a hand slowly stroking my hair, and it was all I could do to remain still.

Gibbs didn't seem so sure. "Sir, has it ever occurred to you that maybe there be a _reason _why Miss Kate's refusing you?"

Jack thought for a moment. "Well, of course there are _reasons_, Gibbs. There are always _reasons_. But so far, Kate has yet to give me a good or even _true_ reason." He let out a gentle sigh. "She's getting to that point, Gibbs. She can't resist." I wanted to say he was lying, but he was right. It was only a matter of time.

"That may be so, but ye best watch your back, Jack. This one seems a bit…different."

Jack's hand paused in its stroking. "Of course she's different! How many girls do you know that can handle a sword like her? How many are as headstrong, as clever, as resourceful? How any have her humor or her leadership? Oh, she's different all right, Gibbs." I heard the smile in his voice. "And I like it."

There was a long pause. "Jack," Gibbs said in a warning voice. "You've got that look in your eye again."

"Oh, good, I like that look," Jack whispered, and I suddenly felt a light pressure on my hip. "It signals the start of…certain activities of a most intriguing nature." His hand dropped from my hair to my back.

"Jack!" Gibbs hissed. I heard him scramble backwards. "Get away from her!"

_Yeah, get off! _

"Oh, let us alone, Gibbs," Jack breathed. I felt his other hand press against the base of my neck. "Let me have time alone with her." He took a deep, shuddering breath.

I could stay quiet no longer. "Jack, you're my friend and captain, and I have nothing but respect for you." I opened my eyes and pushed his hand off my neck. "But if you don't get away right now, I cannot be held responsible for my actions."

Jack let out a yelp of surprise and leapt backwards. "Bloody hell, Kate! How long have you been awake?"

I sat up and stretched. "Long enough. G'morning, Mr. Gibbs."

"Morning, Miss Kate," Gibbs replied, nodding. "How are you feeling?"

I blinked in confusion. "Uh…okay, why do you ask?"

"Er, nothing…it's just that you worked so hard last night, and well…" He cleared his throat self-consciously. "…I suppose I owe you an apology."

I grinned broadly. Finally! "Apology accepted, and let that be a lesson to you about the accuracy of ancient superstition." Gibbs nodded sheepishly. "So Jack, are we close to Isla de Muerta?"

He nodded. "We're nearly there. In fact, I was coming down to wake you."

I raised an eyebrow. "By what methods?" Jack's only reply was a seductive smile. "Uh-huh…I'm going above deck." I slid off my hammock and walked stiffly over to the staircase.

I had my foot on the first step when I heard Gibbs groan, "_Jack_!"

"What?" He sounded like he was trying not to laugh.

I frowned. What was so fun –

Oh, no way.

He did _not._

I looked over my shoulder and glared at him. "Jack, you BETTER have not been looking where I think you were looking!"

Jack smiled innocently. "I wasn't doin' anything, luv!" His gaze dropped even as he finished speaking.

I tore up the stairs as fast as I could. Pintel and Ragetti were right: it was best to remove temptation from one's path.

Above deck, an eerie fog hung over the surface of the water and ship alike. The early-morning chill seemed all the more creepy. I shivered slightly and looked over to the starboard railing. The entire crew was leaning out over the railing, staring out over the water. I squeezed in next to Will, nodded to him, and squinted through the mist. The battered remains of hundreds of ships stuck out of the shallow water. I felt a sudden wave of apprehension.

Will felt it, too. "We best keep our eyes open."

"Aye," I agreed. "A sorry end to an adventure indeed, and considering the nature of our specific venture, completely ironic."

My words were punctuated with a squawk from Cotton's parrot. "Dead men tell no tales!"

Heh…that's what they think.

Gibbs stepped up next to me. "Puts a chill in the bones how many honest sailors have been claimed by this passage."

I snorted. "Mr. Gibbs, this island can't be found except by those who already know where it is, right?"

"Aye."

"And the only people who would know where the island is would be pirates, smugglers, and other sailors of a _dis_honest nature." I smiled at his open-mouthed gape. "Keep trying, mate. Something'll come to you." Chuckling, I stepped back on the rail and hoisted myself up onto a large barrel, sitting cross-legged.

Will and Gibbs moved in front of the barrel. "How is it that Jack came by that compass?" Will asked.

"Oh, the compass? He bartered it from a gypsy." I winked. "An old sweetheart."

Gibbs' eyebrows shot up his forehead. "I didn't know that. How did you…?"

"I know a lot of things about Captain Jack Sparrow…which, in retrospect, kind of freaks me out." Both pirates snorted. "But, I don't really know that much up until he set out for the treasure of Isla de Muerta. Yep, you heard me," I answered Will's shocked gaze. "Treasure. Mr. Gibbs, did you know Jack back then?"

"No, that was before I met him, back when he was captain of the _Black Pearl_." He unscrewed the stopper on his flask and took a sip.

Will did a double-take. "What?" Gibbs' eyes widened and he took a larger sip.

"And thank you, Mr. Gibbs, for providing the semi-obvious plot twist," I said, scowling at him.

Will looked out to sea. "He failed to mention that."

"Well, he plays things closer to the vest now," Gibbs explained. "A hard-learned lesson, it was. See, three d –"

"Ooh, can I tell it? Please?" I begged.

Gibbs looked disappointed. "Fine."

"Awesome. Okay, Will, it goes like this: about ten years ago, Jack and his crew set out from Tortuga, just like us, to go after the treasure. He tells the crew, 'everything's an equal share,' but the first mate said, 'Wait a minute, Captain. Doesn't that include the exact location of the treasure, too?' Jack says okay, and he tells him where you can find the island – not very good judgment on his part. That very night, the first mate rallies the crew and leads a mutiny against Jack. Poor guy had no chance." I leapt down from the barrel. "After the first mate became captain, he ordered that Jack be marooned on a small island and left die – not, of course, before catching a bit too much sun, if you know what I mean." I tapped the side of my head to indicate insanity.

"Ah," Will whispered, nodding. "So, that's the reason for all the…" He did a strange lunging motion.

I snickered. "No, Will. The reason for…" I copied his motion. "…is quite similar to the reason why the rum is always gone."

Gibbs disagreed. "Reason's got nothing to do with it." He knelt down on the deck and waited for Will and me to do the same. "Now, Will; when a pirate's marooned, he –"

"Or she."

"Or she, is given a pistol with a single shot. One shot. Well, that won't do much good huntin' or to be rescued. But after three weeks of a starvin' belly and thirst, that pistol will start to look real friendly." He placed his pointer finger to his head to illustrate. Will flinched. "But Jack, he escaped the island, and he still has that single shot. Oh, but he won't use it, though, save on one man: his mutinous first mate."

"Barbossa," Will whispered in understanding.

"Very good!" I praised. "My brothers never even saw that coming, the dolts."

Will was silent for a moment. "How did Jack get off the island?"

"Well, I'll tell ye," Gibbs interjected before I could open my mouth. "He waded out into the shallows and he waited there three days and three nights, till all matter of sea creatures 'came acclimated to his presence. And on the fourth morning, he roped himself a couple o' sea turtles, lashed them together, and made a raft."

Will gave him a long look. "He roped a couple of sea turtles."

"Aye, sea turtles."

"That, my friend, sounds completely unbelievable," I noted.

Will thought for another moment. "What'd he use for rope?" Gibbs opened his mouth to answer, and then shut it; he had no clue. Will looked at me, but I looked up – Jack was standing right over us.

"Human hair," he answered simply. "From my back."

I raised an eyebrow. "That sounds even _more_ unbelievable."

"Sauce for the gander, luv," Jack replied, winking. "Let go of the anchor!"

"Aye, Captain, aye!" the crew shouted and sprang into action.

"Young Mr. Turner, Miss Cooper, and I are to go ashore," Jack went on quietly.

"Great," I grumbled, standing up.

"Cap'n, what if the worst should happen?" Gibbs asked nervously.

Jack paused. "Keep to the Code," he answered, and stepped into the longboat.

"Aye, the Code," Gibbs murmured, an unreadable expression on his face. Will and I stepped into the boat as well, exchanging a glance. As the boat was lowered into the water, I maneuvered around Will to sit in between the two pirates, as usual. Jack and Will each grabbed a pair of oars, and we set off.

After about five minutes of rowing, the mist began to thin out and fade. The _Black Pearl_ could easily be spotted off the coast of Isla de Muerta. I sucked in my breath – she looked even more amazing in daylight. Jack pulled out his spyglass and scanned the deck for any signs of life.

"Is she there?" Will asked after a moment.

"No."

"She's not on board," I told Will. "No one is."

"Where is she?" Will asked urgently.

Jack snapped the spyglass shut. "It's begun."

It wasn't long before we entered the caves. I struck a match, lit the lantern, and held it out in front of the boat, careful not to hit Jack in the head – although, the idea was getting preferable at this point. Suddenly, I saw a glint of metal out of the corner of my eye, and I quickly swung the lantern about. The light shone on a rusty cutlass…stuck deep into a rotting skeleton. I gasped and quickly pulled the lantern away, smothering the corpse in shadows once more. Guess they don't call it the Island of Death for nothing.

Will had seen the skeleton, too. "What code is Gibbs to keep to if the worst should happen?"

"Why, the Pirate's Code, of course," I answered. "Set down four-hundred years ago by Morgan and Bartholomew, the Code was designed to act as a set of rules and regulations for the Pirate's Brethren Court, but it later became applicable to any and all pirates in the sea."

"Very good," Jack said, nodding approvingly. "The particular passage we're referring to is, 'Any man that falls behind, is left behind.'" I looked back at the spot where the skeleton lay.

"No heroes amongst thieves, eh?" Will said disapprovingly.

"Oh, they catch up eventually," I assured him. "They always do." Will gave me a cold look.

Jack looked at him. "You know, for having such a bleak outlook on pirates, your well on your way to becoming one." He began to list the reasons. "Sprung a man and woman from jail, commandeered a ship of the Fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew out o' Tortuga…" All three of us looked over the side of the boat, where the vision of hundreds of glittering coins glittered back at us. "…and you're completely obsessed with treasure," Jack finished, putting oars down and tying the boat to a large stalagmite. All three of us stepped out of the boat, stumbling over the slippery rock.

"That's not true!" Will hissed. "I am not obsessed with treasure!"

Jack led us to a separate, secluded cave, where we had a perfect vantage point from the treasure room. Jack looked back at Will, a serious expression on his face. "Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate." I found my gaze drawn to him.

All three of us ducked down behind the rocks as Barbossa shouted to his crew. "Gentlemen, the time has come! Our salvation is nigh! Our torment is near an end!" After each sentence, the crowd of pirates cheered.

"Elizabeth," Will breathed. Sure enough, Elizabeth was standing behind the chest, wearing the black dress, the medallion, and a frightened look.

"For ten years, we've been tested and tried," Barbossa went on, "and each man jack of you hear has proved his mettle a hundred times over!" The men cheered. "And a hundred times again!" The crew cheered louder.

"Suffered, I have!" Ragetti whimpered.

Barbossa looked over his crew. "Punished, we were! The lot of us! Disproportionate to our crime!" He slammed his fist against the upturned palm of his other hand. "Here it is!" He kicked back the lid of the chest. I gasped, and I saw Elizabeth do the same. Even from this distance, I could see flashes of gold.

"The cursed treasure of Cortes himself," Barbossa said to Elizabeth, walking the length of the chest and running his hand over the coins. "Every last piece that went astray, we have returned…" He picked up a few pieces and let them drop back into the chest. "…save for this!" He pointed at Elizabeth's medallion.

Will couldn't take it any longer. "Jack!" he hissed, and started climbing over the wall of rock.

"Not yet!" Jack and I pulled him back down, but it was too late – the monkey had seen us. "We wait for the opportune moment," Jack whispered. He stood up and began walking towards the cavern's entrance.

"Eight-hundred eighty-one we found, but despaired of ever finding the last…"

"When's that?" Will challenged. "When it's of greatest profit to you?"

Jack froze, but I had already latched onto Will's arm. He winced in pain, but I was too angry to care. We were risking everything to save Elizabeth, and this was how he thanked us? "William Turner, for once in your life, _think_!" I said dangerously. "Have Jack and I ever given you _one reason_ why you shouldn't trust us?!" Will was silent. "Didn't think so," I growled and shoved him away.

"Do us a favor," Jack said from the shadows. "I know it's difficult, but please, stay here…and try not to do anything stupid."

I started to follow Jack out, but he stopped me. "You too. Stay here."

I pushed his hand away. "I most certainly will not! I made a deal with you, Jack, and I plan to hold up my part of the bargain."

Jack glared at me. "All right, you can come. But be careful!"

"I can take care of mys-"

"Shh!" I glared at Jack but silently followed him into the treasure cave.

As we crept among the rocks, Barbossa began to speak again. "And who among us has paid the blood sacrifice owed to the heathen gods?"

"US!" The pirates shouted.

"And who's blood must yet be paid!"

"HERS!" They all pointed at Elizabeth, whose eyes widened.

Jack and I crept up about fifteen or twenty feet from what I recognized as the rendezvous point between Jack and the pirates. "You know the first thing I'm gonna do once the curse is lifted?" I heard Barbossa say. He lowered his voice so only Elizabeth could hear. "Eat a whole bushel of apples." He pulled out a knife and removed the medallion as the pirates began chanting. "Begun by blood, by blood undone!"

WHACK!

I spun around to see Jack crumple to the floor, out cold. Will stood over him, brandishing an oar. "Sorry, Jack. I'm not gonna be your leverage." He turned to me and raised the oar, but I drew my sword and pointed it at his chest. Will suddenly didn't look so confident.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" I hissed. Will didn't answer, but kept his eyes on my sword. Suddenly, he dropped the oar and ran into the treasure cave. I sighed and unsheathed my sword. "Bloody eunuch."

…Well, he's a eunuch at heart.

I knelt down beside Jack and prodded his shoulder. "Jack? Can you hear me?" No response. I rolled him onto his back and checked his pulse. It was normal, and he was breathing. All I could do was wait for him to wake up. Suddenly, I noticed something – or rather, something that was not there to be noticed. The chanting had stopped.

A moment later, Koehler's voice rang out through the cave. "Did it work?"

"I don't feel no different," Ragetti admitted.

"How do we tell?" Pintel asked.

I didn't dare get up to look, but I knew that Barbossa was rolling his eyes and pulling out his pistol. I heard a soft click, followed by a sharp bang, and then there was silence.

Koehler spoke again. "You're not dead!"

"No," Pintel confirmed shakily. Suddenly realizing something, he pointed at Barossa. "He shot me!" No one seemed overly concerned.

"It didn't work," Ragetti moaned.

"The curse is still upon us!" Twigg shouted, and the entire cavern was abuzz with noise.

The pirates quieted down as Barbossa addressed Elizabeth. "You, maid! Your father, what was his name?" He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "_Was your father William Turner_?"

"No," Elizabeth whispered defiantly.

"Then where's his child?" He picked up the medallion and held it out in front of her. "The child who sailed from England eight years ago, the child in whose veins flows the blood of William Turner? Where?"

There was silence, followed by a loud _smack_. I heard the shifting of the treasure as Elizabeth slid down the mound of gold, and very faintly, the soft _clink_ of the medallion as it landed beside her.

"You two!" Bo'sun growled, addressing Pintel and Ragetti. "You brought us the wrong person!" Everyone rounded on them.

"No!" Pintel protested. "She had the medallion, she's the proper age!"

"She said her name was Turner, you heard her!" Ragetti added. "…I think she lied to us!"

I snorted. "You think?"

"You brought us here for nothing!" Twigg snarled at Barbossa. The rest of the crew shouted accusingly at him.

"I won't take questioning or second-guessing, not from the likes o' you, Master Twigg!" Barbossa growled.

"Who's to blame him?" Koehler shot back. "Every decision you've made has led us from bad to worse!"

"It was you who sent Bootstrap to the depths!" Mallot shouted, pointing at Barbossa.

Bo'sun drew his sword. "And it's you who brought us here in the first place!"

Barbossa drew his sword as well. "If any coward here dare challenge me, let him speak!" The pirates shifted uncomfortably, regretting their outburst.

"I say," Koehler suggested, "we cut her throat and pill all her blood, just in case." The others agreed.

The monkey suddenly let out a loud screech, signaling to Barbossa that Elizabeth was gone. A second later, Barbossa shouted, "The medallion! She's taken it! Get after her, you feckless pack of ingrates!" The pirates scattered.

_Not good…if Jack doesn't wake up soon…_My thoughts were interrupted by a soft moan. Jack's eyes opened and he smiled gently. "'Ello, luv."

A relieved smiled crossed my face. "You okay, Jack?"

"Takes more than that to take out Captain Jack Sparrow," he assured me. He slowly got to his feet, grimacing slightly. "How did I…?"

"Will," I answered. "Bloody idiot hit you over the head with an oar." I picked it up and held it out to him.

Jack took it and gratefully leaned against it. "And you stayed here instead of running off to save your own skin, eh?"

I blushed. "Well, um…yeah, I guess so."

Jack smiled. "I knew you couldn't resist me," he purred.

I opened my mouth to retaliate when the shouts of the undead crew suddenly became closer. "C'mon, Jack, we gotta move!" I hissed. The two of us crawled down the ledge, Jack limping slightly. _Now if we could just make it to the boats…_

Too late. The pirates were already there. "You?" Ragetti gasped, his good eye fixed on Jack.

"You're supposed to be dead!" Pintel shouted. Fortunately, the pirates were too shocked by the sight of their former captain to pay me any notice.

Jack frowned. "Am I not?" He looked himself over. Deciding he was alive, he hastened to retreat, but was blocked by the second group of the crew. Both groups aimed their guns at us. I drew my sword, but the pirates only laughed.

Jack placed his hand on my blade and lowered it. "I'll handle this, luv." I raised an eyebrow but immediately sheathed my sword. Jack turned back to the crew. "Palulay…Palu-li-la-la-lulu…"

I sighed deeply as the pirates exchanged glances. "Okay seriously, Jack, you have no idea how stupid you look right now."

He ignored me. "Parlili…parsnip…parsley…par…partner, partner…"

I sighed again. "French verb meaning, 'to speak.'"

"Parley?" Ragetti guessed.

Jack grinned. "That's the one! Parley! _Parley_!"

"Parley?" Pintel hissed at his partner. "_Damn_ to the depths whatever muttonhead thought o' parley!"

Jack pushed away Pintel's raised pistol. "The French," he answered.

"Actually, it's Latin-based, but you get the idea," I corrected, struggling not to laugh. "Fine group of folks."

"True," Jack agreed. "Inventors of mayonnaise."

"I like mayonnaise!" Pintel said to Grapple.

"Shame about the French, really," Jack went on. "Obsessed with raisins. Humiliated grapes, really. Think about it, mates…"

I snorted. "Raisins?" Jack winked at me.

"…Don't know," Pintel said after a moment.

I rolled my eyes. "Here's a hint: they're all terrific sopranos."

"Eunuchs, all of them," Jack said.

"That's not right," Grapple muttered.

"I used to date a eunuch," Pintel said sadly.

…

…

…

…what. The. F--k.

"Okay, _that_ was more than we needed to hear," I muttered.

Jack agreed. "I'll get me coat."

"I'll come with you," I volunteered. All of the guns and swords were suddenly pointed at me. "Or, I could just…stay here, then…"

* * *

This is, without doubt, my favorite chapter. 


	11. Barbossa and his Crew of Miscreants

I apologize, but this chapter is not one of my best. It's almost exam time, and I'm in a big rush. I hope this chapter isn't too bad anyway! Thanks so much to everyone for their reviews!

Disclaimer: Sigh…If I owned this, Kate would've been put into the movies a LONG time ago.

* * *

Jack and I were led to the treasure cave, our wrists bound with dirty, frayed rope. Jack's attention was focused on the piles of treasure (of course), but I had something bigger to worry about – the tall, imposing figure of Barbossa standing beside the stone chest. His features were masked in shadows, but I'd bet all the treasure in this room that he had the same open-mouthed gape as his crew, be it directed at his former Captain's resurrection or the presence of a female amongst the group. I had already tried and failed to ward off Twigg, Grapple, and Scarus, and was now being leered at lecherously by all three pirates (and most likely by the rest of the crew, much to my disgust).

Barbossa came down from the mound of treasure and glared daggers at Jack, who glared right back. There was a tense silence for about two minutes, the crew shifting impatiently and fiddling with their swords. I myself was terrified in anticipation of my…treatment…aboard the _Pearl_,and remained silent. Finally, someone called from the back, "WILL YOU TWO JUST BLOODY GIT ON WIF IT?!" Both captains jumped and Barbossa fired a shot into the crowd.

I laughed, but then my smile was immediately wiped from my face. Barbossa was staring right at me, and I didn't like the look in his eye. "Oh, crap," I muttered.

A slow smile spread across Barbossa's face. "Why, hello there, miss." He took several steps forward until he was standing right in front of me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jack tense up. "Now what's a fine young lady like yourself doin' here?"

My eyes narrowed. "Well, that's just it, isn't it?" I replied coldly. "If I was a lady, then I wouldn't be caught up in this bloody mess, now would I?"

"Aye, that be true," Barbossa consented, sounding distracted. "But ye certainly are fine…" The men laughed and whistled. Barbossa cupped my face with one hand like Jack always did, but this touch had none of Jack's warmth. I struggled, but Barbossa only laughed and slid his hand down to my neck.

Suddenly, his smile disappeared and confusion flashed in his eyes. He slowly removed his hand and picked up the coin, leaning in to get a better look. A couple pirates wolf-whistled (unable to see the medallion) and Jack lunged forward threateningly, only to be pulled back by Twigg and Koehler.

"Master Scarus," Barbossa called out after a moment. Scarus stepped forward eagerly. "There were eight-hundred and eighty-two pieces o' gold, weren't there?"

"Aye, sir."

"And we've collected all of them, haven't we?"

Scarus blinked. "Uhhh…"

"Captain Barbossa!" I interjected loudly. Jack winced. "This medallion is _not_ part of Cortes' treasure," I said firmly. "It has _no _curse on it. It's _mine_. It was passed down in my family for generations," I finished, lying quickly.

Barbossa looked at the coin for a moment longer before meeting my gaze. "All right, missy, I believe ye." He leaned in closer until his mouth was right next to my ear. "Now, if you would be so kind as to tell me your name…"

I hesitated, but answered, "Kate Cooper. I serve in Captain Sparrow's crew," I added maliciously.

If this made Barbossa upset in any way, he didn't show it. "I'm sure we could change that, my dear," he said huskily. I tensed up as his lips brushed against my ear. Okay, Jack I can deal with, but _that _is just WRONG! Blech!

The sounds of a scuffle seemed to snap Barbossa out of it. I turned to see Jack straining to reach us, that same murderous glare in his eyes again. It was all Twigg and Koehler could do to restrain him. I cheered for Jack silently, joining in the struggle to escape the undead crew.

"Enough," Barbossa ordered, sounding a bit bored. I reluctantly obeyed, but Jack doubled his efforts to break free. "_Belay that_!" Barbossa roared, pulling out his pistol and aiming it in between Jack's eyes. Jack obediently quieted down, but his face did not soften until I looked over at him, silently begging him to cool it.

Wow, he _is _serious about this.

Barbossa lowered his gun and took several blessed steps away from me, looking thunderous. "How the _blazes_ did ye get off that island?"

Jack smirked. "When you marooned me on that godforsaken spit of land, you forgot one very important thing, mate…I'm Captain Jack Sparrow!"

"Damn right, he is!" I called out, as I always did during this scene.

Barbossa ignored me. "Ah, well I won't be makin' that mistake again." He faced his crew. "Gents, you all remember Captain Jack Sparrow?" A couple men laughed. "Kill 'im." The men grabbed their guns and aimed at Jack. Barbossa grabbed hold of my arm and led me out of the line of fire, a satisfied sneer on his face.

I, however, was less than amused. "Barbossa, you asshole! Let go of me _right now_, or I swear, I'll –"

Barbossa spun around and gripped me by the shoulders, a mad glint in his eye. "Best watch what ye say, missy! Remember, I be yer Captain now, and you'll be obeying _my _orders from now on!" His hand returned to my cheek and slowly began sliding down my neck, down to my chest…

"The girl's blood didn't work, did it?"

Oh, thank GOD for that crazy pirate. I resolve to stay within ten feet of him at all times.

Barbossa's eyes widened the slightest fraction. He thought about this for a minute, and then rolled his eyes. "Hold your fire!" The pirates lowered their guns, looking disappointed. Barbossa stepped up to Jack, dragging me along with him. "You know whose blood we need." It was more of a statement than a question.

Jack smiled. "I know whose blood you need."

"We know whose blood you need," I confirmed. "Even better, we're going to _tell_ you whose blood you need."

Jack's smile disappeared. "We are?"

"Shh!" I hissed at him. I turned back to Barbossa. "Yes, we are, but we have a couple conditions: you have to agree to meet with Jack and PEACEFULLY set up negotiations before we tell you anything. That means _no weapons_. Sound fair?"

Barbossa nodded, a knowing smile on his face. "Agr–"

"Wait, I'm not done! You also have to agree that from this very moment till the curse is lifted, you cannot do the following: shoot us, stab us, harm us in any way, toss us overboard, take advantage of me in any way, shape, or form, starve us, let us die of thirst, or send someone else to shoot us, stab us, etcetera. And all this applies to your crew as well," I added quickly, and a couple men groaned. That oughta do it. "Deal?" I awkwardly held out my tied hands.

Barbossa thought for a moment, and then shook my hands, smirking. "Agreed."

* * *

"DAMN HIM AND HIS FREAKING LOOPHOLES!" I shouted a half hour later. Bo'sun's only response was to sneer at me as the door of the brig slammed shut. How the hell did I miss this?!

Jack smiled encouragingly from the outside. "No worries, luv, I'll get you outta there. That's what the negotiations are for, remember?"

"The negotiations are to help you get back your ship," I corrected irritably.

"Oh…well, look at the bright side. At least they're not gonna starve you…or shoot you…or stab you…or any of that other stuff you said."

"Rrrrr," I growled, leaning against the wall of the ship. Bloody undead pirates.

"Everything's going to be all right, luv!" Jack called over his shoulder as Bo'sun led him away.

"Yeah, right," I grumbled, brushing back the hair from my face. All right…it's not gonna get _all right_ until the end of the movie, and even then, it only lasts for a year. Less than a year, even. _And I may not even be there__ for it_, I realized. I guess I'd been having too much fun to remember that this wasn't really where I belonged. I would probably leave as soon as the movie's over, back to my old life. My minimum-wage, lonely life…

I hadn't even realized I'd fallen asleep until I felt someone shaking me awake. I opened my eyes to see Bo'sun leering at me. Pleasant.

"What?" I said bluntly, my voice hoarse.

"The Captain needs you for negotiations," Bo'sun replied with equal bluntness. Without so much as a by-your-leave, he pulled me to my feet and dragged me out of the cell door and up to the main deck. I had only a few moments to blink in the bright sunlight before Bo'sun led me over to the captain's cabin and knocked sharply. At Barbossa's, "Come in," he opened the door, shoved me inside (causing me to fall flat on my face in a very unladylike manner – like I care, but it's the principle of the thing), and slammed the door shut.

"I believe this could be counted as harming me," I addressed the floor before getting stiffly to my feet. A brief look around confirmed the scene I had entered: Barbossa was sitting, hands folded, at the large wooden table, and Jack was sitting across from him, looking at ease. A bowl of green apples sat between them, and I stifled a snicker.

"Ah, Miss Cooper," Barbossa greeted uncharacteristically warmly. "Come in, have a seat." He looked pointedly at the seat next to him.

I rolled my eyes and sat down with as much dignity as I could next to Jack. He grinned broadly at me. "Told you I'd get you out," he whispered.

"That you did," I whispered. "Thanks, Jack." I looked up at Barbossa. "So…why am I here?"

Barbossa looked irritable. "Mr. Sparrow here –"

"Captain."

Barbossa glared at him. "– has decided that negotiations can not continue unless you are present."

I nodded slowly. "Okay, I'm good with that."

"Good." Barbossa leaned forward and plucked an apple from the bowl on the table. He held it out to me, smiling charmingly. "Apple?"

The offer was innocent enough, but this was _Barbossa_ we were talking about. Every instinct screamed, _NO!_ My stomach, however, had other ideas; I hadn't eaten since yesterday morning. "Thank you," I said quietly and took the apple. I took a small bite, ignoring the look on Jack's face. It tasted a little tart, but actually quite satisfying. I took another bite and leaned back in my chair.

Satisfied with our mutual love of apples, Barbossa went on with the negotiations. "So, you expect to leave me standing on some beach with nothing but a name and your word it's the one I need, and watch you sail away in my ship?"

"No," Jack said in mock surprise. He stood up and began strolling around the table. "I expect to leave you standing on some beach with absolutely no name at all, watching me sail away in _my _ship, and then Katie here will shout the name back to you." He rested a hand on my shoulder, and Barbossa stiffened. "Terrific pair o' lungs on this one, savvy?"

I looked at him curiously. "Was that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Shh!"

"But that still leaves us with the problem of me standing on some beach with naught but a name and your word it's the one I need."

"Yes, but if you'd recall, ten years ago, you left Jack standing on some beach with naught but a pistol with one shot, and he had to watch you sail in _his_ ship," I pointed out. "So, to me, this seems like a pretty fair tradeoff."

Barbossa looked at me for a long moment. "How long have you and Sparrow been traveling together, Miss Cooper?"

I raised an eyebrow. "'Bout three, maybe four days. Why?"

"Has he promised ye anythin'?"

I thought back to our night in the jail cell. "I made an accord with him first night I met him," I replied, shrugging.

"Well, missy, I think ye must know that ol' Sparrow's word is not what ye'd call…_trustworthy_."

"Of the two of us," Jack interrupted, looting through the bowl of apples, "I am the only one who hasn't committed mutiny, therefore, my word is the one we'll be trusting." He picked out a bright green apple and sat back down, propping his feet up on the table. "Although…I suppose I should be thanking you because, in fact, if you hadn't marooned me and left me to die, I would have an equal share in that curse, same as you!" He took an enormous bite out of the apple. I cringed and, for Barbossa's sake, took a smaller, neater bite out of my snack. "Funny ol' world, isn't it?" Barbossa nodded, looking very much like he wanted to reach across the table and strangle Jack.

"Easy, remember the terms of our agreement," I warned. "If this gets messy, we're getting off this ship right now without giving you anything but bad memories."

Barbossa was spared from answering by Bo'sun, who entered the cabin without knocking. So much for respect. "Captain, we're comin' up on the _Interceptor_." Intrigued, Barbossa stood and strode out of the cabin, the monkey racing ahead of him. Jack and I followed apprehensively, me finishing the apple in a few swift bites.

Outside, Barbossa and Bo'sun climbed up to the helm, while Jack and I leaned out over the railing. Sure enough, the _Interceptor_ was easily seen on the horizon, and was getting closer. I took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. "Well, I don't know about, Jack, but _I'm_ not just standing around and watching my friends get their heads blown in." Without waiting for a reply, I turned and climbed the steps to the helm. After a brief pause, I heard Jack begin to follow me.

Barbossa was standing in front of the wheel, spyglass trained on the horizon. "Captain Barbossa," I called out to him. "You may want to reconsider this. That is, if you notice, a Navy ship, and it is quite dangerous." Once again, I was ignored.

Jack came from behind me and stood directly in front of Barbossa's spyglass. "I'm havin' a thought here, Barbossa." Barbossa lowered the spyglass, looking slightly disgusted. "What say we run up a flag o' truce, I scurry over to the _Interceptor_, and I negotiate the return of your medallion, eh? What say you to that?"

"Well, I know what I'd say, if I was him," I cut in.

"Oh, really? What?" Jack asked, looking hopeful.

I smirked. "Hell no!" Barbossa gave me a look. "Uh…not necessarily in that wording, of course."

Barbossa smiled patronizingly at Jack. "Now, you see, Jack…that's exactly the attitude that lost ye the _Pearl_. People are easy to search when they're dead." He turned to Bo'sun. "Lock him in the brig." Bo'sun was only too happy to oblige.

"Oy! Wait for me!" I shouted, running after them.

Barbossa quickly blocked my path. "Oh, there's no need to worry about _him_, Miss Cooper," he assured me. "The terms of our agreement are still in effect. He won't be harmed." He took a step closer to me. "Although, I find myself needin' to ask ye…why is it that ye prefer the company of bilge rats such as Sparrow when you could find yourself in the company of much more…_successful_ pirates?"

"You mean, you?" I asked coolly. Barbossa's only response was a seductive smile. I chuckled. "Captain Barbossa, allow me to take you into the mind of the average young, female pirate: given the choice between an old, unimaginative, skeletal pirate captain, and a handsome, hilarious, roguishly charming ex-pirate captain…" I smirked. "See ya, mate. Hey, Jack, wait up!" I raced after him.

Ooooooh, Barbossa got _burned_!

I caught up with Jack just as Bo'sun was tossing him into the cell. "Hey, there," I said casually and slightly out of breath. "Room for one more?" Bo'sun grunted and shoved me in after Jack.

"Apparently, there's a leak!" Jack called to him as he walked off. I snorted; the entire floor was covered in water. Jack turned to me, grinning. "Didn't think you'd show up, luv. Thought you'd rather partake of the miraculous temptress that is freedom, eh?"

I met his gaze evenly. "Better to be in captivity among friends than free alone." I sat down, wincing as the water seeped through my pants.

Jack sat down next to me, looking at me curiously. "Never thought of it like that," he admitted slowly. "Freedom's important, o' course…"

"Sure it is," I replied, nodding. "It's _very_ important. People have _died_ because it's so important. But as for me…" I felt my lips curve up in a smile. "…I think friendship is even more important." I let that sink in before adding, "Besides, Barbossa creeps me out."

Jack snorted. "It's actually the monkey that gets me." His face suddenly darkened. "Barbossa seemed to be getting…rather attached to you, luv."

I stared at him for a moment before I started laughing. "Jack, are you _jealous_?"

"No!" Jack said quickly, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm not jealous, I'm just…ah…"

"You are so! Admit it!"

Jack's face fell. "Well…maybe a little," he muttered.

I playfully punched his arm. "Aw, Jack, you know you're my favorite."

Jack brightened. "I am?" he asked hopefully.

"Uh-huh."

Jack smiled slyly and leaned in close to my ear. "Why am I your favorite?"

I didn't even blink. "Jack, for the sake of my sanity, I suggest you take a couple steps back." I gestured over to the ship's wall, where a feeble ray of sunlight shone in from the knothole. "If you want to see what's going on outside, you can look through that little hole in the wall." Interested, Jack crouched down by the wall and stared through the knothole.

I think I'm getting the hang of this.

After a minute or so, Jack straightened up and looked over at me. "There's a bunch of boxes and things floating by," he reported.

I nodded. "Those'll be from the _Interceptor_. They're trying to lighten the ship so they can lose the _Pearl_ amongst the shoals."

Jack blinked. "What shoals?"

"_The_ shoals, Jack." I pinched the stretch of cord just over the coin and gave it a little flick. Jack nodded understandingly.

Suddenly the _Pearl_ gave a sharp turn, and Jack was suddenly flung off balance…straight on top of me. I yelped as the air was suddenly forced out of my lungs.

"Sorry!" Jack gasped, raising his head. "I'm sorry, Kate, I – oh." He smiled. "Or am I?"

"Jack, get off!" I growled, struggling to get out from under him.

"No," Jack said simply. He wrapped his arms around me and rested his head against my chest. "I'm perfectly content to stay right here until the battle's over." He closed his eyes and held me tighter. "Maybe longer."

I felt heat rise to my face. "Jack, if you don't get off in the next two and a half seconds, then I'm –"

_Boom_!

I screamed as something crashed through the wall and shot over our heads. Jack hoisted himself off me and together we looked back through the hole. The _Interceptor_ had pulled up along next to us and had begun shooting the cannons, prompting an eager response from the _Pearl_.

"STOP BLOWIN' HOLES IN MY SHIP!" Jack shouted through the hole. If anyone heard, they didn't answer. He looked over at me with a fake-accusatory glare. "You see, luv? If I hadn't stayed on you, I would've got my bloody head blown off!"

I ignored him and looked at the wall behind me. Several forks, knives, and even spoons were stuck deep into the wood. Gibbs' flask was pinned down by one of the knives and was still swinging with the force from the impact. I pulled it out and tossed it to Jack. "Whoa, those guys really are desperate…they shot the rum!" Ha, ha, ha. Love that part.

Jack uncapped the flask and drained it. He suddenly frowned. "Uh, Kate?" He pointed at something behind me.

I turned to see a large hole where the lock used to be; a couple forks were stuck into the wall just beyond the door. "Oh," I said softly. Knew I was forgetting something. I raced out the door and back to the main deck, Jack following behind me.

The entire deck was crawling with pirates shooting at the _Interceptor_. A couple guys were even throwing the knives right back. Thankfully, the pirates seemed a little too intent on the battle to notice we had escaped. As we shoved our way through the bloodthirsty crowd, the crew began to launch grappling hooks out over the water and swing over to the _Interceptor_. One guy swung out but misjudged the distance; he came swinging back over to the _Pearl_ just as Jack and I reached the railing. Jack reached up and snatched the rope, causing the guy to go flying off.

"Thanks very much," Jack said to the guy. He turned to me and wrapped an arm around me. "Hold tight, luv," he said softly, and the two of us swung back to the _Interceptor_ (!!!).

The moment our feet touched the ground, I drew my sword and launched myself at Mallot. I held nothing back – after all, they couldn't die, right? Mallot growled and struggled to advance, but I blocked every one of his blows. I glanced over my shoulder to see Grapple coming up from behind me, swinging his sword menacingly. I ducked out of the way, and both swords swung harmlessly over my head.

This went on for another couple minutes until I noticed Jack the monkey scampering across the fallen mast, with Jack himself on his heels. I quickly punched Grapple in the face, kicked Mallot out of the way, and raced over to the mast just in time to hear Barbossa say smoothly, "Why, thank you, Jack."

Jack smiled. "You're welcome."

"Not you, we named the monkey Jack." Barbossa held up the medallion. "Gents, our hope is restored!" The men cheered.

I groaned. "I want to say, 'things can't get any worse,' but then again, they usually do." I suddenly felt someone grabbing onto my arms and tying my hands again. I sighed. "And there you go."

* * *


	12. Standing On Some Beach

Woo-hoo! 70 reviews! You guys are the best!

Thanks so much to everyone for reading and reviewing. As a reward, I present you with the long-awaited ISLAND CHAPTER! _(cricket chirping)_ Oh, come on! At least pretend to be interested!

Audience: _(unenthusiastically)_ Yay.

Thank you.

**WARNING: Contains slight Will-bashing, a tiny sliver of one-sided Sparrabeth (but you knew that already), ****Jack x Kate, ****AWE references, and copious amounts of rum.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean. I do own Kate, and this really cool tin of popcorn with Jack's face on it.

* * *

By the time I had finished internally damning Barbossa to the depths, the crew of the _Interceptor_, plus Elizabeth, had been bound tightly to the foremast of the _Pearl. _Jack and I, still under the bargain set down by myself and Barbossa, were standing a little ways off. Our hands were unbound, but our weapons had been removed, and the entire crew was serving as our guard. Barbossa was staring out at the battered _Interceptor_, fingering Elizabeth's medallion and looking triumphant. Elizabeth, too, was looking out to the Navy ship, her eyes wide with terror. Not that I could blame her; I had to remind myself that Will, even though I didn't know how, would escape the _Interceptor _alive.

Pintel and Ragetti circled the mast menacingly, Pintel brandishing a pistol. "Any of you so much as _thinks _the word 'parley,' I'll have your guts fer garters!"

"Does that include – _mmph_!" I choked as Jack clamped a hand over my mouth.

"Shut it!" he hissed. "Are you trying to get us bloody killed?"

"Mm-mf-gh-mmph!"

Jack raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"_Mm-mf-gh-mmph_!"

"_What_?"

I tapped Jack's hand, and he hurriedly removed it. I spat on the deck and shouted, "I SAID, 'THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO SHOOT US, REMEMBER?!'"

There was a long pause. "Oh," Jack said sheepishly.

I rolled my eyes and turned away from him, but not before muttering "Parley," under my breath. Pintel glared at me and raised his pistol threateningly. While the pirates weren't looking, Elizabeth slipped underneath the ropes.

_Boom!_

The _Interceptor_ suddenly exploded in a burst of flame. The cursed pirates cheered, while Jack and I exchanged an apprehensive glance, which became panicked as Jack finally realized that someone was missing.

"Will!" Elizabeth breathed, completely freaking out. She ran at Barbossa and started punching his back, screaming, "You've got to stop it!"

Unfazed, Barbossa spun around and gripped Lizzie's wrists so hard, I saw them turn chalk-white. "Welcome back, miss!" he greeted, that same mad glint in his eye. "You took advantage of our hospitality last time! In holds fair now you return the favor!" He thrust Lizzie at the crew, who laughed and began groping her. I averted my eyes at Lizzie's scream, knowing that if Will didn't show up soon, I'd be next.

"This may become a bit problematic, luv," Jack noted.

"Just a bit," I agreed. "My God, if Loverboy saw what was going on here –"

"BARBOSSA!"

"Ah, speak of the eunuch, here he is now!" I said cheerfully.

Jack blinked. "How'd he do that?"

"Jack, he's Will Turner," I reminded him. "He's not supposed to die. Even when's he's _supposed _to die, he's not supposed to die! And if you don't believe me, just wait until Shipwreck Cove and then you'll see what I mean!"

Will, dripping wet but miraculously alive, jumped down from the railing and grabbed a pistol. "She goes free!" he shouted, gesturing to Lizzie.

Barbossa sneered at him. "What's in your head, boy?"

"She goes free," Will repeated firmly.

"You've only got one shot, and we can't die," Barbossa pointed out, smirking even wider.

Will glanced over at us, looking uncertain. "Don't do anything stupid!" Jack whispered pleadingly. I tapped the side of my head to indicate thinking.

Unfortunately, Will seemed to misinterpret this. He jumped back up on the railing, gripping the ratlines for support. "You can't…I can." He pointed the pistol underneath his chin.

"Like that," Jack sighed.

"Wh…Will, you bloody whelp, that's not what I meant!" I shouted. "Get down from there before you hurt somebody!" Will didn't even look at me.

Barbossa looked up at him strangely. "Who are you?"

"No one, he's no one!" Jack said quickly. He and I stepped out from the group of pirates and stood between Barbossa and Will. "A distant cousin of my aunt's…nephew…twice removed. Lovely singing voice, though. Eunuch," he added in a whisper. The pirates started muttering darkly, remembering our earlier conversation.

"Not to mention fifty different kinds of stupid," I growled in an undertone.

"My name is William Turner!" Will interrupted. "My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner! His blood runs in my veins!"

I turned to glare at him. "Congratulations, Will, you have just said the ONE THING you are NOT supposed to say when surrounded by cursed pirates! Now SHUT UP before I go up there and kill you myself!"

But the damage was done; the mutterings of the crew suddenly picked up. "He's the spittin' image of ol' Bootstrap Bill, come back to 'aunt us!" Ragetti whimpered.

"Okay seriously, if you people _any_ resemblance at all, then by all means, _point it out_!"

"On my word, do as I say," Will ordered, "or I'll pull this trigger and be lost to Davy Jones' Locker!" I coughed quietly, smiling slightly.

"Name yer terms, Mr. Turner," Barbossa said smoothly, suddenly a bit more interested.

"Elizabeth goes free!"

Barbossa rolled his eyes. "Yes, we know that one. Anything else?"

Will looked over at us. Jack frantically pointed to himself, while I just looked at him pleadingly. Subtlety seemed to finally win out, for Will said quickly, "And Kate! Kate goes free, as well!"

I nodded, grinning. "Thank you, Will! Doesn't it feel better to use your head?"

Jack flailed his arms around wildly, now beginning to get desperate. Will ignored him. "And the crew! The crew are not to be harmed!" Jack dropped his arms and sighed exasperatedly.

Barbossa smiled, revealing his blackened teeth. "Agreed."

* * *

"Okay, Will," I said calmly as the rumrunner's island came into view and Lizzie stepped onto the plank. "I know that Barbossa overanalyzes things, but couldn't you have been just a _little_ more specific?"

"Go on, poppet!" Pintel cackled. "Walk the plank!" Lizzie stared uneasily at the dark water as the pirates egged her on.

Will shoved through the crowd and glared murderously at Barbossa. "Barbossa, you lying bastard! You swore she'd go free!"

"Don't dare impugn me honor, boy!" Barbossa snarled. "I agreed she'd go free, but it was you who failed to specify when or where!" He laughed as Will was pulled back, a cloth bound tightly over his mouth.

Barbossa looked back up at Elizabeth. "Though it does seem a shame to lose something so fine, don't it, lads?" The men murmured their assent. "So I'll be having that dress back before ye go." The men laughed and whistled. Lizzie's cheeks colored, but she began pulling off the dress.

Surprisingly, Jack had the decency to look for a distraction, though his cheeks were slightly pink. "I always liked you," he said to Koehler, who grunted noncommittally.

I looked back up at the plank. Lizzie, in only her nightdress, shoved the dress at Barbossa. "Goes with your black heart," she hissed.

Barbossa pressed the wine-colored fabric against his cheek. "Ooh, it's still warm," he purred, and tossed the dress into the crowd.

…what? You expect me to say something? We all know he's just saying that to be an asshole, I don't have to add to the cliché.

The crowd stopped laughing as Lizzie slowly inched to the edge of the plank. I held my breath, feeling terror radiating off her.

After about thirty seconds, Bo'sun complained, "Too long!" He stomped on the board and Lizzie fell into the water, screaming her head off. The men howled with laughter, and Jack chuckled nervously.

Barbossa turned to me, smirking. "And now it's your turn, Miss Cooper." Twigg and Koehler pushed me forward, grinning like alligators.

"Hold it!" I shouted quickly. The pirates shut up. "Captain Barbossa, can I make one last deal with you? As a dying request?"

"Depends on what it is," Barbossa answered simply. He seemed interested.

"Our swords," I said after a moment. "Both mine and Jack's." Somehow, I doubt Norrington will let us borrow two of his, and our swords could be useful on the island. "In exchange, you'll get information."

Barbossa thought for a moment before nodding. "Very well, then. Gents, pass up the swords, if ye please." The men did as they were told. I tucked my sword into my sash and tossed Jack his cutlass. "We're waiting," Barbossa said expectantly.

I nodded to the plank. "The girl you kidnapped? Her name's Elizabeth Swann, daughter of Weatherby Swann, who just so happens to be the esteemed governor of Port Royal. He's most likely sent out every warship and officer on the island to go find her." I smirked. "Best stay on your toes, mate."

Barbossa's expression didn't change. "That doesn't seem to be entirely worth two swords, missy."

I smiled. "Hey, I didn't say it had to be _good_ information."

Barbossa smiled. "Ah, a lass after me own black heart." He wrapped an arm around my waist.

I shuddered. "Uh…can I go walk the plank now?"

"Sure."

"Thank you!" I said quickly, and stepped out onto the plank. Lizzie looked up at me, eyes wide. I took a deep breath. "Okay…now I'm ready. LOOK OUT BELOW!" I dove off the plank and into the cool water, feeling rejuvenated.

"Are you alright?" Lizzie asked as I resurfaced.

"Of course I am!" I laughed. "It's just like jumping into a pool. Or…lake." I cleared my throat.

From up on the _Pearl_, I could still hear the conversation, albeit faintly. "I'd really rather hoped we were past all this," Jack was saying.

"Jack," Barbossa said patronizingly. "_Jack_…did ye not notice? That be the same little island that we made ye governor of on our last little trip."

"I did notice," Jack said quietly.

"What?" Lizzie whispered to me.

"They marooned Jack on that same island ten years ago," I clarified.

"Perhaps you'll be able to conjure up another miraculous escape," Barbossa said thoughtfully. "But I doubt it." I heard swords being unsheathed, and saw Jack step out onto the plank, looking anxious. "Off you go," Barbossa prompted.

There was a pause. "Last time, you left me a pistol with one shot," Jack pointed out.

"By the powers, you're right! Where be Jack's pistol? Bring it forward!" The men chuckled and passed up the pistol to Barbossa.

Jack looked down at us, and then back at Barbossa. "Since there's three of us, a gentleman…would give us three pistols."

"It'll be one pistol as before," Barbossa said firmly, "and you could be the gentleman and shoot the lady, stab the girl –"

"Hey!"

"– and starve to death yourself." Barbossa tossed the pistol overboard, and it hit the water with a sharp splash. Jack dove off after it, spraying me with seawater as he went under. He was back in a matter of moments, looking grim. Deciding against saying anything, I untied his hands, patted his shoulder, and swam after Lizzie.

* * *

Before long, I felt solid ground under my feet again. I sloshed through the shallow water, wringing out my hair. Lizzie had made it to the island first, and was already ashore. Jack came last, tucking his pistol into his belt.

We said nothing for a moment, just watched the _Pearl _rapidly sail away. "That's the second time I've had to watch that man sail away with my ship," Jack murmured.

I wish I could find some inspiring words of comfort, but I couldn't. Instead, I took his hand and smiled encouragingly. "Hey, don't worry, Jack. We're gonna get out of here in no time, and we're gonna get your ship back."

"You think so?" Jack asked softly. He looked up at me, and I saw something in his eyes that I hadn't seen before: vulnerability. Uncertainty. Helplessness. Jack really needed reassurance.

I squeezed his hand. "Yeah," I answered. "I do. Know why?" Jack shook his head. I chuckled teasingly and began strolling towards shore. "You're forgetting one very important thing, mate…I'm Kate Cooper, and I know _everything_." I glanced over my shoulder at him. "Savvy?"

A slow smile crept onto Jack's face. "Oh, so now you're stealing my lines, are you?"

"Pirate!" I reminded him.

"There! You just did it again!"

"No, I didn't!" I replied, grinning. Jack growled, bent down, and splashed me.

I jumped back. "Hey!" Laughing, I splashed him back. Before he could retaliate, I raced onto shore and collapsed on the sand, out of breath but happy. They'd never shown this side of Jack in the movies, and I loved seeing it.

Lizzie looked at me disdainfully. "You're acting like a fool, you know."

I rolled onto my stomach and stared at her. "In your opinion. There's nothing wrong with having a little fun now and again." I propped myself up on my elbows. "You do remember that, don't you?"

"What?"

"Having fun."

Lizzie's eyes flashed. "What do you mean? I still have fun!"

"Oh, yeah, wearing corsets and dresses and never really leaving your house sounds like loads of fun," I said sarcastically.

I expected Lizzie to start screaming at me, but instead she sat there silently. "I'm going for a walk," she said after a moment. She stood up and began walking away from me, along the shoreline.

"Have fun!" I called after her. She stopped for a moment, but then quickened her pace.

Jack came in from the water and stood over me, panting slightly. "We're gonna be here a while," he told me, pulling off his boots. "May as well get comfortable." He tossed his boots aside. His vest soon followed, and he stuck his sword into the sand.

"Good idea," I replied, standing up. I pulled out my sword and stuck it, sheath and all, deep into the sand beside Jack's. That done, I undid the laces on my boots, pulled the boots off, and stood them up neatly.

I was just about to pull off my vest when something occurred to me. I looked over my shoulder at Jack. His gaze swept up and down my body, and he was smiling.

"Ahem," I said coolly. Jack didn't even look up. "_Ahem_!" Jack looked at me briefly, but then went back to checking me out. I sighed. "All right, Jack, I don't wanna do this, but…" I picked up one of my boots and threw it at him. He ducked, but the boot his shoulder, and I'd already tossed my vest into the pile of clothes.

"OW!" Jack yelped. I laughed, and he threw the boot back at me. I caught it and threw it aside. "Bloody wench!"

"Yeah, but I'm _your_ bloody wench," I reminded him, lying back down on my back.

Jack smiled and sat down beside me. "You certainly are, luv," he murmured. He rested a hand on my stomach. I tensed up, but he just sat there, staring out to sea. I closed my eyes and slowly let myself relax.

After a moment, Jack said softly. "You're right, Katie."

I opened one eye. "Hmm?"

"It could be quite a bit worse. We _do _have food, there's some coconut trees somewhere…" He waved his hand vaguely. "What else…ah, yes! We have rum!"

I opened the other eye. "Oh, do we?"

"Aye, there's a whole cache of rum here, completely hidden to unwanted eyes. Delicious stuff, it is."

"I'll take your word for it," I said softly. I waited a minute before admitting quietly, "You know, I've never actually had rum before…I mean, before that night in Tortuga."

Jack's jaw dropped. "_Never_?"

I shook my head, feeling embarrassed. "Where I'm from, you can't have it until you're twenty-one."

Jack snorted. "Well, that's just bloody ridiculous. How could you go through twenty-one years without rum?"

I smiled. "You can barely go an hour without it."

Jack smiled. "Less than that, maybe." He patted my stomach affectionately. "We'll have to make up for lost time, luv."

"I'm sure we will," I answered, grinning. "Later on, though. Right now, I think we deserve a break."

The corners of Jack's mouth went up. "Maybe a little one." He lay down beside me. "We certainly have earned it, putting up with the whelp all this time."

"Yeah," I murmured tiredly. The sand around me felt warm and comforting, and I felt completely relaxed for the first time in days. My exhaustion was beginning to catch up with me…

"Tired, luv?" Jack said softly, brushing my bangs away from my face.

"Just a bit," I answered, starting to sit up.

Jack reached up to my shoulder and gently pulled me back down. He rolled over on his side and looked at me, his brown eyes boring into mine. "Then you should rest," he said softly. And then I felt that same sensation again, the one where Jack's eyes seemed to be sucking the very life out of me, but in a good way…

"Jack," I whispered, sitting up. "Elizabeth's gonna be back soon, we can't just –"

Jack pressed a finger against my lips. "_We_ aren't going to do anything. _You_ can sit there and be stubborn if you want…" He sat up, walked two fingers up my arm, and pressed a hand against my neck. "…but I think you'll find I can be very…persuasive." I shuddered slightly, feeling my breath catch in my throat. Jack smiled and gently began kissing my neck.

I felt color rise to my face. "Jack," I said softly, biting back a moan. Jack looked up at me, his eyes clouded. I looked at him for a moment before placing a hand up to his cheek. Jack smiled and closed his eyes.

_Screw Sparrabeth. This'll be so worth it._ I pressed my forehead against his, feeling his hand drop to my chest. "I knew you'd see it my way," he whispered, and leaned in to kiss me…

"Ahem."

I jumped like a cannon had gone off. Lizzie was standing in front of us, holding her dress daintily out of the wet sand. Feeling my face redden, I pulled out of Jack's embrace and raced to the water. Turning away from them, I knelt down and scooped the salt water up to my face, praying I wouldn't start crying again.

After a few seconds, I heard Jack say, "It's not very big, is it?" I stood and turned around. Lizzie was staring dejectedly at her footprints.

She looked up at Jack. "If you're going to shoot me, please do so without delay," she said icily.

Jack blinked at her. "Is there a problem between us, Miss Swann?"

"You were going to tell Barbossa about Will in exchange for a _ship_," she answered accusingly.

"A ship might be useful right about now!" I pointed out, walking back onto shore. Lizzie stared at me, and I suddenly wished that I was back in the water. I didn't move, however; I only stared back.

Jack cleared his throat loudly and waited until we were both looking at him. "The fact is, I was going to _not_ tell Barbossa about bloody Will in exchange for a ship. As long as he didn't know about bloody Will, I had something to bargain with, which now no one has, _thanks_ to bloody stupid Will!"

It took a second for that to sink in. "Oh," Lizzie said softly.

"Oh," Jack echoed mockingly.

There was pause. "He still risked his life to save ours," Lizzie pointed out.

"Hah!" Jack laughed and began walking away.

I came up to stand beside Lizzie. "Actually, Elizabeth, he risked his life to save _yours_. He doesn't care about us at all. After all, what are we? Pirates," I said, without waiting for a reply. "And you and your town has made it quite clear how they feel about pirates, even if we try to do something nice for once, like, oh, I don't know…_saving your life_!" Lizzie blinked and her face paled. She must've forgotten, and she now looked a little guilty.

"We should still do something to save him," she said after a moment.

"Off you go, then!" Jack called to her. "Let us know how that turns out!"

Lizzie raced after him, while I followed behind more slowly. "But you were marooned on this island before, weren't you, so we can escape in the same way you did then!"

Jack spun around, eyes flashing. "To what point and purpose, young missy? The _Black Pearl _is gone! And unless you have a rudder and a lot of sails hidden in that bodice – unlikely – young Mr. Turner will be dead long before you can reach him." He turned back around and began searching for the rum cache.

"But you're Captain Jack Sparrow!" Lizzie protested. "You disappeared under the eyes of seven agents of the East India Company!"

"Not to mention sacking Nassau Port without firing a single shot, very impressive," I added, walking after them.

"Are you the pirate I've read about or not?" Lizzie asked scathingly as Jack began jumping up and down on the trapdoor. "How did you escape last time?"

He stopped jumping and matched her furious gaze. "Last time, I was here a grand total of three days, all right?!" He stepped off the trapdoor, brushed the sand off it, and opened it. Ignoring Lizzie's shocked look, he jumped down into the cache. "Last time, the rumrunners used this island as a cache, came by, and I was able to barter passage off. From the looks of things, they've long been out of business." He tossed up a bottle of rum, and then climbed up himself, holding two more bottles. "Probably have your bloody friend Norrington to thank for that."

"Yet another one of the many good reasons to hate him," I said simply, picking up the bottle.

"So, that's it, then?" Lizzie said after a moment, looking furious. "_That's_ the secret grand adventure of the infamous Jack Sparrow." Her voice dropped dangerously. "You spent three days lying on a beach, drinking rum?!"

Jack smiled. "Welcome to the Caribbean, luv." He stepped around her and made his way back to the beach, patting my shoulder as he passed. I followed him, looking curiously at the bottle of rum in my hand. I guess if Lizzie's staying sober…

"So," Lizzie began, coming back onto the beach, "is there any truth to your other stories, then?"

Jack gave her a long look. "Truth?" He rolled up his left sleeve, revealing his brand and tattoo. He rolled up the other sleeve, and we saw a nasty-looking burn (I felt a twinge of sympathy). Finally, he tugged on his shirt, revealing two bullet wounds. "No truth at all."

"Ouch!" I yelped suddenly and fell to the sand. The rum bottle rolled away from me as I gripped my leg in pain. _My scar again…_

Lizzie's eyes widened. "Are you alright?" She knelt down beside me. I saw Jack drop the bottles and come down next to Lizzie.

"No, I mean, yes!" I answered through gritted teeth. "Yes, I'm fine!"

"Let me see," Lizzie said soothingly, reaching for my leg.

"NO!" I shouted, pulling it away. "I'm fine, really! It's just…sympathy pain, or something."

"Maybe I can…" She pulled up my pant leg. She gasped and scrambled backwards. "You…you have one, too?" she asked in a high-pitched voice.

I looked down at my scar. It was burning an angry red. "Yeah," I answered, squeezing my eyes shut. "I suppose I do."

The silence was filled only by my ragged breathing. After a minute, I heard a soft ripping noise, and Jack whispered, "Wait here, luv." I opened my eyes and saw him go down to the water and place a dirty white cloth – most likely from his shirt – under the waves. He waited a moment, pulled it out, and came back to me. "This may sting a bit," he warned, and pressed the cloth against my scar. I gasped at the sting, but it turned into a sigh as the pain faded away.

Jack smiled. "Better?"

I nodded. "Thank you," I whispered. Jack gently put an arm around me, and I let myself lean against him.

After a moment, I heard him say to Lizzie, "We still have a month, maybe more. Keep a weather eye open for passing ships, and our chances are fair." He took a swig of rum.

"What about Will?" Lizzie asked in a much quieter voice. "We have to do something."

"You're right," Jack agreed. He rolled his bottle over to Lizzie and held up another one. "Here's luck to you, Will Turner." He took a drink. I picked my bottle, opened it, and did the same, wincing at the bitter taste.

Lizzie picked up the bottle and sat down beside us. She looked at it for a moment before letting out a sigh. "Drink up, me hearties, yo-ho." She took a small sip.

I smiled at her. "Yo-ho," I echoed, and took another sip.

She blinked in surprise. "You know that song?"

"Course I do. It's one of my favorites."

Jack looked between the two of us, looking lost. "What was that, Elizabeth?"

"It's Miss Swann…nothing. Just a song I learned as a child when I actually thought it'd be exciting to meet a pirate."

"'Exciting' is a definitely a word for it," I agreed. Lizzie smiled.

"Let's hear it," Jack said after a moment.

Lizzie's cheeks colored. "No."

"Come on, we've got the time," Jack pointed out. "Let's hear it!"

"I'll do it!" I volunteered.

Lizzie frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Sure, I'm sure!" I stood up slowly, wincing slightly. "Just join in when you feel the need." I cleared my throat, took a deep breath, and began to sing softly.

"_Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate's life for me! __We __pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot. Drink up me hearties, yo-ho! _

_We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot. Drink up me hearties, yo-ho! Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate's life for me!"_

"Come on, Elizabeth, I can't sing this by myself!" I called out. After a moment's hesitation, she slowly but surely began to join in.

_"We extort, we pilfer, we filch and sack. Drink up me hearties, yo-ho!_

_Maraud and embezzle and even hijack. Drink up me hearties, yo-ho! Yo -ho, yo-ho, a pirate's life for me!_

_We kindle and char, inflame and ignite. Drink up me hearties, yo-ho!_

_We burn up the city, we're really a fright! Drink up me hearties, yo-ho! Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate's life for me!_

_We're rascals, scoundrels, villains and knaves. Drink up me hearties, yo-ho!_

_We're devils and black sheep, really bad eggs! Drink up me hearties, yo-ho! Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate's life for me!"_

Jack laughed. "Really bad eggs?"

"Yep!" I answered, nodding. "The very worst!" 

_"We're beggars and blighters and ne'er-do-well cads. Drink up me hearties, yo-ho!_

_Aye! But we're loved by our mommies and dads! Drink up me hearties, yo-ho! Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate's life for me!"_

Laughing, I collapsed onto the sand, feeling better than I had in days. Lizzie, too, finally seemed to be warming up to us, as she was laughing as hard as I was. 

"Bravo!" Jack applauded us, grinning. "Terrific song, and most beautifully performed!" His smiled faded slightly, and leaned in closer to us, as though about to share a secret. "Would you mind terribly if I asked you to teach it to me?"

I exchanged a smile with Elizabeth. Her eyes were slightly clouded – she was beginning to think up a plan – but she didn't seem to object. I turned to grin at Jack. "We'd be happy to."

* * *

If you're wondering why I'm ending it here, the second part of the chapter is pretty long and much more serious. The two parts just didn't seem to fit together, so I'm posting this now and putting up the other one later in the week.

By the way, I've posted a new poll in my profile, so if you want, you can go check it out (after reviewing, of course!)


	13. Giving in to Temptation

Ugh! Exams…at least they're over…

This chapter is going to have a little bit of everything in it. It could really go either way.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean. I do own Kate…but even she's rebelling against me. I feel so alone! T.T

* * *

Since Jack was getting drunker by the minute, Lizzie and I took it upon ourselves to make camp. She suggested that we split up to look for different resources: I would find food, she would find firewood. I was still a little annoyed, so I wholeheartedly agreed with the idea of going alone.

Jack was right – there was _plenty_ of food on the island. Every tree on the island seemed to be bursting with coconuts. It was easy to get to them, too; all I had to do was whack the trunk with my sword a couple times. I was able to get six coconuts from two trees, and the blade was no worse for wear…it had actually knocked down the first tree! Oh, well. At least we had firewood.

I rolled the coconuts back to camp to find Lizzie holding two pieces of driftwood and looking pretty pathetic. I raised an eyebrow. "Is that it?"

Lizzie's face turned red. "Did _you_ find any firewood?" she shot back.

I smiled calmly. "No, so I _made_ firewood. Apparently, one of the trees back there isn't as strong as it looks."

Lizzie's jaw dropped. "You _knocked down_ a tree!? How did you…?"

"I whacked it with my sword and it fell down," I said simply, shrugging. I smiled slyly. "Maybe you should be careful what you say to me." Lizzie scowled.

It took about an hour and a half to drag the tree back to camp, and another two hours to chop up the tree into workable pieces of wood. By the time we had the wood piled up, the sun had nearly gone down, and I could barely feel my arms. Lizzie didn't look any better, even though I had done most of the dragging and practically _all_ of the chopping. Ungrateful little _governor's daughter_.

I suddenly stopped short. "We do have a way to _start_ the fire, don't we?"

Lizzie's eyes widened, and her face turned red. "Ah…well…"

I rolled my eyes. "You're hopeless."

"Well, do _you_ have any ideas?"

"Um…"

"Just light it with two pieces o' the wood!" Jack called out in a slurred voice.

It was my turn to turn red. "Oh, right…thanks, Jack." Jack raised his rum bottle and downed it in one gulp. I forced back a smile and moved to light the fire while Lizzie worked on the coconuts.

And so, here we were, an hour later. Jack was drunker than ever, and Lizzie, putting her plan into action, had already "drank" two bottles. Both had finished their dinner and were now sitting by the fire, laughing woozily. I had finished, too, but I preferred to keep my distance from the giant flames.

Lizzie noticed quicker than I expected (I'd hoped she wouldn't notice at all). "Kate? Aren't you going to come sit by the fire?" she asked in a voice that suggested she was not as good of an actress as she appeared.

"I'm fine, thanks," I answered too quickly. My scar gave a warning stab of pain, and I clenched my teeth.

"Are you sure? It's nice and warm," she added, sounding a little too maternal for my taste.

"I bet it is," I muttered, scooting away.

"_I_ know what's wrong," Jack said suddenly, smiling crookedly. He slowly got to his feet, swaying slightly. "Katie doesn't wanna come near the fire 'cause she's scared."

I jumped. "N-no, I'm not!"

Lizzie frowned. "Scared?" She was so curious that she wasn't even using her drunk voice anymore.

"I just don't like fire, okay?!" I snapped, hugging my knees tightly. I saw Lizzie's eyes drop to my right leg, catching on.

There was an uncomfortable silence. Jack lurched over to the pile of clothes and pulled his sword out of the sand. He grinned at me. "You think the fire's gonna hurt ya, don't ya, Katie?"

"Shut up, Jack," I whispered. My vision began to blur.

"Aw, don't worry, luv," he soothed drunkenly. "'S not gonna hurt ya, not with ol' Jack around t' protect ya." He suddenly charged towards the fire, swinging his sword wildly.

I felt my heart stop. "Jack, what the hell are you doing!?" I screamed. I leapt to my feet and raced over to the fire. Lizzie looked too terrified to move.

Jack stopped about a foot away from the fire, grinning smugly. "Oh, beggin' fer mercy, are ya? Well, you're not gettin' any! When ya mess with Katie, ya mess with me, ya hear that? _You mess with Captain Jack Sparrow_!" He swung his sword, and the fire shrank back against the force of the swing.

I reached him and wrestled the sword out of his hand. "Are you insane?! You could've hurt somebody, yourself included!" I know he's drunk, but he should know better than that!

Jack shot me that same crooked smile. "Ah, no worries, luv. I'm just fine, see? An' I told ya, no one's gettin' 'urt while I'm around, savvy?"

"Fine, fine, I savvy," I grumbled, placing a hand over my chest. "Just give me a second to restart my heart, okay?"

Jack chuckled and wrapped his arms around me, drawing me close against his chest. "Does this help, luv?" he murmured, resting his chin against the top of my head. I heard a soft, slightly alarmed noise from Elizabeth.

I squeezed my eyes shut, but I felt my anger drain away anyways. "A bit," I muttered grumpily.

I heard Jack chuckle, and his arms wrapped around me even tighter. "What about this?" he breathed. I felt him gently kiss the top of my head.

My skin was suddenly covered with goosebumps, and I felt myself blush again. _Hot and cold at the same time_, I remembered Jeff telling me. We'd been discussing his new girlfriend at the time…"Jack, I think you've had too much to drink," I told him, pulling myself away.

He smiled at me. "No such thing as 'too much to drink.'" He bent down, picked up a miraculously unopened bottle, and pressed it against my sweaty palm. "You should try it sometime," he went on, his eyes twinkling. "You may like the results." My heartbeat suddenly sped up, and I forced myself to look away.

"Jack," Lizzie said quickly, sensing my dilemma. She stood up and smiled at him eagerly. "You want to sing that song again?"

"What song?" Jack asked. He hadn't looked up from my face.

"The one Kate and I taught you this afternoon," Lizzie reminded him patiently.

Jack still looked confused, but then his face lit up. "Oh, yeah! _That_ song! I love that song! Let's sing it now! YO-HO, YO-HO, A PIRATE'S LIFE FOR ME!" Lizzie laughed and joined in, singing at the top of her lungs.

"Right, I'm gonna go…somewhere else." I pointed in a random direction, and then quickly ran back down the beach. Once I was at a safe enough distance, I sat down and stared out to the dark horizon, listening to the waves lap hungrily against the shore.

_"You should try it sometime. You may like the results."_

I sighed softly, uncorked the bottle, and took a drink. The rum felt even more soothing then usual, and I took a bigger gulp. Suddenly, I felt light-headed, and a wave of nausea passed over me. "Ugh…" I groaned, lying down completely. "Not one of my better ideas." Jack and Lizzie's voices faded into the background, and all I could hear was the sound of the sea.

_"I think you'll find I can be very…persuasive."_

"Damn," I muttered, lifting my head. "He's right." I looked over at Jack, prancing idiotically around the fire, grinning widely. Suddenly I felt even more light-headed.

"WE'RE DEVILS AND BLACK SHEEP, WE'RE REALLY BAD EGGS, DRINK UP ME HEARTIES, YO-HO! YO-HO, YO-HO, A PIRATE'S LIFE FOR ME!"

"I love this song!" Jack announced. He and Lizzie spun around in a sort of doe-si-doe thing, and I felt a stab of alarm. "_Really bad eggs_!" He swayed for a moment and collapsed onto the sand. Lizzie came down beside him. Laughing, I came back up the beach and sat down on Jack's other side.

"When I get the _Pearl_ back, I'm gonna teach it t' the whole crew," Jack promised. "An' we'll sing it all the time, right, Katie?"

"Uh…sure, whatever," I answered weakly. They'd better be sober when that happens.

"And you'll be positively the most fearsome pirate in the Spanish Main!" Lizzie said dramatically.

"Not just the Spanish Main, luv," Jack corrected. "The entire ocean! The entire _world_!" He waved his arms around excitedly.

"Take it easy, you guys!" I scolded. "We're near an open flame!"

"Aw, there's nothin' t' worry about," Jack dismissed.

"All the same, could you calm down just a bit?" I asked in a frustrated voice. "I know you're in Captain Jack Sparrow mode, but I think you have enough scars."

"All right, all right," Jack conceded, smiling broadly. "Anything for you, luv." He put an arm around me unsteadily.

"Uh…thank you," I said softly, tensing up again.

There was silence for a minute, filled only with Lizzie's insane giggling. Jack looked out to sea and sighed softly. "You 'n me, Katie. We're pirates through 'n through. An' ya know what that means?"

"Oh, _yeah_," I answered, feeling a smile tug at my lips. "We're free. Society doesn't tell us what to do. We do what we want." I felt a pleasant shiver go up my spine at these words. _Freedom_…

"That's right," Jack said softly, nodding. "Wherever we wanna go, we go. That's what a ship is, ya know. It's not just a keel 'n a hull 'n a deck 'n sails, that's what a ship _needs_. But what a ship _is_ – what the _Black Pearl_ really is – is freedom." His eyes shown with the intensity of what he was saying, and I felt a bit blown over by the sheer wonder of the meaning of these words.

Lizzie was silent for a moment. "Jack," she began softly, cuddling up next to him, "it must be terrible for you to be trapped on this island." She rested her head against his shoulder. I froze as the alarm in my head went off. _Oh, shit…_

"Oh, yes," Jack agreed. "But the…company is infinitely better than last time." He put an arm around her and squeezed my waist slightly. "An' the…scenery has definitely improved…"

"Jack," I said in a warning voice.

"Hmm?"

"If you expand on that last statement in any way, I'll punch you in the face, I swear I will."

Jack chuckled. "Oh, Katie…I keep tellin' ya, you want this just as much as I do." So saying, he clumsily kissed my cheek and pulled me closer to him. My skin began to tingle with surprise and pleasure, and I felt my heart skip a beat.

Lizzie came to my rescue once again. "_Mr. Sparrow_! I'm not entirely sure that I've had enough rum to allow that sort of talk."

"Captain," I muttered under my breath, in a bad mood once again.

Jack seemed to be quite pleased with the task of flirting with two women at the same time. "I know exactly what you mean, luv." He curved the ends of his mustache upwards and smiled at her seductively.

_Easy, he's drunk, she's plotting, it's scripted, it's one-sided, it's the first movie. You don't even like him like that. No, really. You DON'T!!!_

Lizzie giggled and lifted a bottle of rum. "To freedom!" she toasted.

Jack lifted his bottle as well. "To the _Black Pearl_."

"Yeah, to the _Pearl_," I muttered absentmindedly. I took a small sip of my drink. Lizzie pretended to drink, and then put her bottle down when Jack wasn't looking. Jack himself continued to drink until he was flat on his back, out cold.

We stared at him for a moment, and then looked at each other. I sighed softly and stretched my stiff muscles. "Okay, he's out. What's the next step?"

"I don't know what you mean, Kate," Lizzie said quickly, still in her drunk voice.

I shook my head, smiling slightly. "Gig's up, Elizabeth. I'm not planning on drinking any more tonight, and even if I was, I'd _still_ know what your plan is."

"How could you know if I'm planning anything at all?" Lizzie asked, but in a normal voice.

My smile broadened. "I'm a smart girl, Miss Swann. Smarter than anyone expects. And also…" I pinched the cord above the coin and held it up, revealing the medallion. "…I had a bit of help."

Lizzie's eyes widened as she stared at the coin. She looked up at me, trembling slightly. "You have one, too?" she whispered.

"Sort of. Not all Aztec treasures have the same curse. Some don't even have a curse at all, kind of like this one. This medallion was given to me by…oh…a friend of my mother's. What it does is –"

"It lets you read minds?" Lizzie guessed, looking wary.

I chuckled. "No, but that's a good guess. It lets me see the future, sometimes the past, and sometimes lets me see what's happening in other places at that we're in now. It's really cool, and it's one of the reasons I got sucked into this crazy adventure." _In fact, it was THE reason._

Lizzie was silent for a moment. "Are you telling the truth?"

I nodded. "Yup. Wanna give me a test?"

There was an even longer silence. "Can you see Will?" Lizzie asked quietly, shooting me a helpless glance. There was a note of pleading in her voice.

I sighed and propped up my head in my hand. "I…I can't _see_ him, Ican't see where the_ Pearl_ is or anything…but I _do_ know that he's okay. They took some heavy damage from the battle and they won't reach Isla de Muerta until…oh, I'd say tomorrow evening at the earliest."

"So we still have a chance," Lizzie murmured to herself.

"Aye, it's a fool's chance, but it's still a chance," I agreed. There was another long pause. "Hey, you're not gonna tell anyone about this, are you?"

Lizzie blinked. "Why shouldn't I?"

"Well, I dunno, maybe cause it sounds a bit _insane_?"

The corners of Lizzie's mouth twitched into a smile. "Just a little."

"Yeah…seriously, though. The only people who know about this are you, me, and Jack. I'd prefer to keep it that way, okay?"

Lizzie nodded. "All right."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"Good, that makes my job considerably easier." I stood up and brushed my bangs back behind my ears. "So, not that I don't already know, but exactly were you planning on doing all by yourself?"

Lizzie looked a little embarrassed. "Well…I was thinking of lighting a fire, to use as a signal…someone's bound to see it. I know my father's looking for me, and Commodore Norrington, too…I just need a big enough fire," she finished thoughtfully.

"And exactly what were you planning to use as burning material?" I asked casually, fighting back a laugh. "Or were going to cut down some more trees and lug them back to camp all by yourself?"

Lizzie looked even more flustered now. "That was sort of why I wanted to keep it a secret."

"Well, it's not a secret anymore. Go on, spit it out."

Lizzie studied her feet, shifting uncomfortably. "Well…the rum."

I struggled to keep a straight face, but a chuckle escaped my lips. "All of it?"

She nodded. "All of it."

"You do realize that once he wakes up –" I gestured to Jack. "– you'll have to deal with his unholy rage, right?"

"Well, yes, but the rum will make a bigger flame than the wood, right?" Lizzie pointed out.

"That's right." I nodded. "But you still have the problem of lugging heavy loads all the way back to camp by yourself."

"…well?"

"Well, what?"

"_Well_, are you going to help me?"

I sighed. "I'm gonna get chopped to pieces for this, but I want off this bloody island…fine. As long as Jack doesn't find out, I'm in."

Lizzie smiled. "Thank you…what should we do first?"

I looked at our campfire, and then in the direction of the cache. "I think maybe we should start stacking up the rum cases over by those trees. Once we have enough, we can get a stick or something and light a torch to throw on the pile."

Lizzie frowned. "Why can't we just use the fire here?"

"Two reasons: one, because if we leave the fire here and go to sleep, we'll all be Kentucky-fried before you can say, 'stop, drop, and roll.' Two, if we set this up right, all those trees will catch on fie, giving us a bigger signal."

Lizzie nodded in understanding. "That's…a good idea. Have you ever done this before?"

"No, but I don't need to have. I told you, I'm smart." I smiled smugly. "Okay, how about you go over to the cache and start bringing out some of the crates? I'll gather these bottles up and meet you over there."

Lizzie nodded. "All right. Good luck with those," she added, gesturing to the bottles and smiling slightly. "Captain Sparrow can certainly drink."

I snorted. "To tell you the truth, I think he was having an off night."

Lizzie giggled quietly. "I suppose I should be surprised, but for some reason, I'm not." We shared a chuckle, and Lizzie went off to the cache.

I stooped down to pick up my virtually untouched bottle, but then bolted upright as something occurred to me. _Was I just having a _civil conversation_ with _Elizabeth SwannI picked up the bottle slowly, my brow furrowed in confusion. Whoa…we'd been talking for at least ten minutes, and I haven't uttered a death threat since we got here…talk about ironic. What kind of Jack fangirl am I?

_You're pretty lucky, Liz,_ I thought, staring off in the direction she had gone.

* * *

It didn't take long to gather up the extra bottles – it's a wonder that Jack didn't have rum running through his veins rather than blood. After I had put them all in a small pile and found a workable stick from the leftover wood, I made my way back to the cache. Lizzie was just climbing out, empty-handed but looking pleased.

"There are about ten large crates down there, all filled with rum," she reported. "If we can pile them up and light them, then I think we'll have a big enough signal."

"Hmm…it'll be a start, but we should probably throw on some of the smaller crates once the fire's lit," I suggested. "We don't want to take any chances."

"…alright," Lizzie agreed, looking a bit disheartened. "I suppose we'll have to both jump down, lift each individual crate, throw them out of the cache, and move them over to the spot…unless you have a better idea." She sounded a bit annoyed.

I snickered. "Sounds good. But, uh, there's no need for to get so upset. Remember, I've been at this longer than you, Elizabeth."

"Miss Swann!" she corrected bitingly.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," I responded, rolling my eyes.

Lifting the crates wasn't really as hard as it sounded, and before long, we had nine of the ten crates stacked up in a pyramid shape. I was about to jump down and start on the tenth when I heard Lizzie ask, "How long have you known him?"

I glanced back at her over my shoulder. "Jack? Well, that's kind of a trick question. I've only known him _personally_ for a few days, but I've heard of his adventures and such." I suddenly felt suspicious. "Why?"

Lizzie looked sheepish. "Oh, nothing! Nothing at all, really…it's just that earlier on the beach…"

I stiffened as I felt a blush creep across my cheeks. "What happened on the beach was nothing," I said shortly. "Jack's been all over me the whole trip, is all. He just doesn't know how to take 'no' for an answer." I leapt down into the cache, feeling a strange pang in my chest.

I heard Lizzie jump down behind me. "He seems to care about you a lot," she pointed out mildly.

"As I just said, he won't take 'no' for an answer. He's too stubborn to give up." I moved behind the last crate. "You gonna help me with this, or what?"

Lizzie quickly got on the other side of the crate. I heard her drop to the floor and worm her fingers underneath the old wood. "I'm ready!"

"Okay!" I answered, dropping to the floor and gripping the bottom of the crate as well. "On three…one…two…_three_!" We struggled to lift the crate, grunting. My muscles screamed in protest of lifting yet _another_ rum-filled box, but at least Lizzie stopped talking. I counted to three again, and we tossed the crate out of the cache with little trouble. Panting slightly, I climbed out of the cache, Lizzie right behind me.

We sat down for a moment, satisfied with our work. I was just getting up to get the crate moving again when I heard Lizzie ask softly, "Do you love him?"

I stopped short, feeling a strange mix of emotions come over me. I tried to shout, _no_,_ I don't_, but my throat was too dry. I cleared my throat and croaked, "I keep telling myself that I don't."

"But do you really?" Lizzie pressed. "No one will hold it against you, you know. Being in love isn't a bad thing."

"That depends on who you're in love with!" I snapped, feeling a lump come to my throat. "And you're one to talk, _Miss Swann_! You love Will, yet you don't act on _your _desires!"

I had hit home; Lizzie's mouth compressed into a tight line, and her fists clenched. Refusing to acknowledge the stab of guilt that crossed me, I threw my weight against the crate and pushed it over to the pile, grunting quietly.

By the time I came back, Lizzie had recovered somewhat. "It's different for me," she whispered. "I have to marry a proper man, not a blacksmith. It's just not done, no matter what my feelings are."

"That's exactly why I turned my back on propriety," I told her. "Listen, I'm sorry. That was going too far. I guess I just got a little…" I shrugged. "…it's just that the last time I fell in love…I got hurt pretty badly. I don't wanna have that happen again, is all." I shivered involuntarily, remembering the betrayal all too well.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Lizzie replied sincerely. She looked like she wanted to say something else, but she averted her eyes, grabbed the stick for the fire, and walked away in the direction of camp.

I stared out through the trees, squeezing my eyes tightly shut to stem the flow of tears. But in my mind's eye, I saw Jack smiling at me from the helm of the _Interceptor_, his dark brown eyes sparkling with warmth. And then I was leaning against the railing, and Jack had his arms around me, leaning in to kiss me…

_No_, I told myself firmly. _Don't let it get to this, Kate. You learned your lesson the last time. You promised you wouldn't let this happen again._ I slammed my fist against the trunk of a palm tree, angry and confused. _I can't go on like this…_

"Kate?"

I turned around quickly, startled. Lizzie was back, holding the lit torch away from her. Feeling my old wariness return to me, I took a couple careful steps back. "Oh, good. Now be careful, with that much rum, there's bound to be a huge explosion. Best watch your back."

Lizzie nodded. "I will. You be careful, too." She gave me a small smile, and took a few apprehensive steps towards the crates. Feeling alarmed, I dropped to the ground and covered my head in my hands.

I felt Lizzie hit the ground beside me seconds before an earsplitting _boom_ pounded against my eardrums. I curled up into a ball as a wave of burning-hot energy came over us, and I heard Lizzie scream. Behind my closed eyelids, I could still see a bright flash of orange light, just like before…I held my breath and curled into a tighter ball.

It seemed like hours before I felt Lizzie gently shaking my shoulder. "Kate? It's alright, the worst is over." I slowly opened my eyes and sat up. Orange flames licked hungrily at the crates, setting off little explosions as the rum was burned. A dark pillar of smoke rose up through the trees, probably thirty feet high already. Some of the palm trees had caught on fire, as well.

I got to my feet, my heart pounding against my chest. "Okay, that's done. Now we just need to get the other crates and throw them on the fire. Easy enough," I added, more in reassurance to myself than her.

"Easy," she murmured in agreement. "Are you alright, Kate? You look a bit –"

"I'm _fine_," I said a bit defensively. "It's just a little…uh…"

"I can finish by myself, if you want," Lizzie volunteered, not buying it. "You look like you could use a rest."

I opened my mouth to protest, but then glanced nervously back towards the fire. "You sure?"

Lizzie smiled wryly. "I think I can handle it. Now go get some sleep."

"Okay, if you're sure…just come and wake me if something happens."

"I will. Good night, Kate."

"G'night, Eli – I mean, Miss Swann." I turned around and made my way back towards camp, trying not to make my movements looked panicked or rushed.

The campfire had burned down to a soft glow, hiding the beach in shadows. The moon above was nearly full, and it lit up the sky brilliantly. It was colder away from the signal fire, and I felt myself shivering. Wrapping my arms instinctively around myself, I strained to spot Jack. He hadn't moved from where we'd left him by the fire, but he was getting harder and harder to see – the column of smoke was masking the night sky.

I walked over to the campfire and sat down next to Jack, staring at him as I did. He didn't seem to be unconscious anymore – he looked like he was in a deep sleep. His expression was peaceful, but his lips were moving silently. I couldn't make out what he was saying, but I thought I saw his lips form the phrase, "_Black Pearl_." He was dreaming, I guess, about sailing his ship again. Without thinking, I gently placed my hand over his cheek and let it slide down his neck, his shoulder, his arm. I vaguely noticed the strength behind it…_not in a bulky way, though. More wiry, like a runner_. Finally, I slipped my hand into his, feeling light-headed again. Jack stirred, and his hand tightened. I felt my heart shift slightly in my chest. He was right – I really couldn't refuse him anymore. I guess my feelings for him are stronger than the pain of Jason's betrayal.

_But are they really? I haven't been able to trust my feelings since then…_I jumped at a quick burst of light from the campfire. In that instant, the compass on Jack's belt suddenly became visible. The compass…of course! It'd be able to show me what I want most, what my decision should be. I reluctantly pulled my hand out of Jack's grip and unfastened the compass from Jack's belt. I stared at it for a moment. _I should probably get further away, just so I don't mistake the reading. _I got to my feet and walked down to the water's edge, wincing at the cold waves washing over my bare feet. Well, this is it…I took a deep breath and flipped open the compass lid.

My eyes were glued to the needle as it spun aimlessly. Slowly, the needle's spinning stopped and it confidently pointed to the north. I took another deep breath and looked up. The needle was pointing right at Jack. My heart leapt, but I had to be sure; I unsteadily moved in a wide circle around the campfire. The needle patiently moved with me, never once changing what it pointed to.

My breath caught in my throat, and my eyes swam with tears. A laugh bubbled up in my throat, and I clamped a hand over my mouth to keep from being heard. I just couldn't believe it…but at the same time, it felt as though a load had been thrown off my shoulders. "Okay, I give up," I said softly, going back over to Jack. "Looks like Captain Jack Sparrow always wins in the end." I giggled uncharacteristically. "He is _never_ gonna let me live this down." I smiled down at him for a moment, and then lay down beside him, curling up against his chest. The last thing I heard before I drifted off was his strong, steady heartbeat.

* * *

It could have been only seconds, or maybe hours later that I saw the familiar golden glow behind my closed eyelids. I opened my eyes and looked around, blinking sleep from my eyes. I had been lying down by the water's edge, yet strangely I hadn't felt the water touch me. It was still dark out, but the horizon was turning gray with the coming dawn. The fire was burning more strongly than ever, and the pillar of smoke looked over three hundred feet high. I squinted through the darkness and saw Elizabeth curled up in the sand, fast asleep. Not far from her was a dark, huddled mass lying on the sand. I took a few steps forward, positive what I was about to see. Sure enough, Jack was lying on his back, sleeping deeply. The other me was curled up next to him, a slight smile on her – I mean, my – face. I quickly glanced down at the medallion. It was glowing the same way it had back in the jail.

_Again…I'm dreaming again. But why now?_

A soft sigh broke through my thoughts; Jack was stirring. I shrank back as he raised himself to a sitting position. He suddenly winced and put a hand to his head, groaning softly. "Maybe there _is _such a thing as too much to drink," I heard him mutter. I snickered triumphantly.

Jack suddenly froze, and I looked down in alarm; the dream-me had shifted position, snuggling even closer to Jack. He looked down at her for a moment, shocked, but then a slow smile spread over his face. "That's what I thought," he murmured, chuckling. He slowly lay back down and wrapped his arms around the dream-me, kissing her forehead gently. I heard him sigh contentedly before my medallion's glowing intensified. Just as my eyes began to close, I thought I saw the outline of a little bird against the moon…

* * *

"NO! Not good!"

My eyes snapped open. It looked to be a couple hours after dawn, as the sun was already high in the sky. Our campfire had completely burned out, but the signal fire looked bigger than ever. Lizzie was throwing the last of the boxes on the blaze, looking pleased.

Jack, however, looked panicked as he struggled to get to Lizzie, still hung-over. "Stop! Not good! What're you doing?! You've burned all the food, the shade…the rum!"

"Yes, the rum is gone," Lizzie confirmed, coming back onto the beach. She smiled at me. "Good morning, Kate. How did you sleep?"

"Not bad," I answered, getting to my feet. "I see you've been busy."

"Well, the work wasn't all that difficult," she admitted, but still looking proud.

"Why is the rum gone?!" Jack shouted, eager to get this conversation back on track.

"Because you drank most of it!" I answered.

"But she burned it! Why did she burn it?"

Lizzie turned to face him, her face set in anger. "ONE, because it is a vile dink that turns even the most respectable men into complete scoundrels, two, that signal is over a thousand feet high! The _entire_ Royal Navy is out looking for me! Do you really think that there would be even the slightest chance that they won't see it?!"

"Oh, don't flatter yourself, Elizabeth," I cut in. "I doubt that every single last ship in the Navy would abandon their post to go looking for one person."

"Well, every ship my father has access to, then," Lizzie amended, looking frustrated.

I smirked. "So that would be…one ship?"

"But why is the rum gone?" Jack whimpered.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and sat down. "Just wait, Captain Sparrow. Give it one hour, maybe two. Keep a weather eye open and you'll see white sails on the horizon." Jack pulled out his pistol, thought better of it, replaced it, and stormed off.

"Nice," I said after a moment. "I don't think that conversation could've gone any better."

"You could've helped," Lizzie pointed out grumpily.

"And risked getting my head blown in? No, thanks." I thought for a moment. "But I'll try and go talk some sense into him…if that's even possible." I started down the beach after Jack. "Jack? Jack, wait up!"

I ended up having to chase Jack halfway across the island before I could close enough. _Wow, I really gotta work out more…_"C'mon, Jack," I pleaded. "Would you hold up for a second?"

He apparently hadn't heard me. "'Must've been terrible for you to be trapped here, Jack. Must've been terrible'…WELL, IT BLOODY IS NOW!!!"

"Cool it, Jack!" I said exasperatedly. "It's not the end of the world!"

"But the rum's gone!" Jack whined, pouting. His eyes narrowed. "And you helped!"

"Yes, Jack, I helped burn the rum. And yes, the rum is gone. Unfortunately, so is your ship. And the only way we can get your ship is to get off this island, and the only way to get off this island is to make a signal, and we can't make a signal without burning the rum!" I turned away from him, seething. He's acting like such a little kid!

There was silence for a few minutes. Jack sighed softly. "I'm sorry, luv. You're absolutely right. We need to get the _Pearl _back before they break the curse, or there's no stopping 'em. I guess I should've seen that."

"You should've," I agreed. I looked back towards him. "Last night, you were muttering about the _Pearl_, and…I guess I was willing to do anything I could to help get your ship back."

"You've been doing a fine job," Jack assured me. He smiled slyly. "And speaking of last night…"

"Oh, God," I groaned. Here it comes.

Jack's smiled widened. "You know what I found when I woke up this morning, luv?" He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

I smirked. "The smell of burning alcohol?"

"Don't push it."

"Sorry."

Jack rolled his eyes. "I found _you_, Kate, lying right next to me with the prettiest little smile on your face." He nuzzled my cheek like a cat. "Now how do you suppose that happened?"

I sighed deeply. "Now _you're_ pushing it."

Jack spun me around and leaned in close so that our faces were only inches apart. "Just answer me one question, luv: do you honestly think you can go on resisting me?" His eyes smoldered into mine.

My breathing suddenly turned uneven, and my heart pounded against my chest. _Okay, you know what? Forget it. I can handle what's coming. I already lived through one betrayal._ I swallowed hard and slowly wrapped my arms around Jack's neck. "No," I whispered.

And then I kissed him.

Everything just seemed to melt at that moment. I just lost track of everything except the feel of his lips on mine and his arms wrapped tightly around me. I moaned softly, and he slid his sweet-tasting tongue into my mouth, running one hand through my hair.

Who says pirates can't get into heaven?

It was over, it seemed, as quickly as it had started. Feeling like I was having an out-of-body experience, I leaned my head against Jack's chest, my breathing still uneven. I felt Jack kiss the top of my head. "Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" he murmured.

"Decidedly not," I answered, closing my eyes.

Jack squeezed my waist. "Would you do it again?"

I opened my eyes. "Maybe." Jack smiled and moved in…

…but I spotted something out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look out over the water, and Jack's lips brushed against my cheek. He sighed. "Ah, Katie, I thought we were past all this…"

"Jack, look," I interrupted. The _Dauntless _was anchored not far from the island, with a small longboat rowing towards us rapidly. We were saved.

Jack stared at the ship for a moment, and then back to camp. "They'll be no living with her after this."

* * *


	14. Kate Goes Krazy

* * *

OVER 100 REVIEWS?!?! Sniff…you guys are the best…

Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own PotC or its characters.

* * *

Jack and I raced back down the beach, thrilled with the prospect of getting off the island. I was completely walking on air – the climactic swordfight between Jack and Barbossa was around the corner, I had yet another chance to screw with Norrington's head, and – most importantly – I had just been full-out kissed by Captain Jack Sparrow! I felt completely invincible, free at last from my troubles. What could possibly go wr-

Oh, shit.

The little longboat was apparently faster than we thought, for Norrington, Murtogg, Mullroy, and two other marines were standing on the beach, looking a little wary. Norrington had Lizzie locked into an embraced, the former looking relieved and rather pleased, while the latter looked equally relieved but extremely uncomfortable. As soon as Jack and I came into range, all four marines aimed their guns at our chests, Murtogg and Mullroy looking a little reluctant. We skidded to a halt, and Jack put his hands up. I scowled but followed suit.

Norrington let go of Lizzie and smirked haughtily at us. "Well, well, well. If it isn't our runaway pirates. Spotted the signal and came to make a mockery of us again, did you?" His mouth was compressed into a thin line, and his eyes were cold.

I smiled weakly. "You've, uh…you've got it all wrong, Norrington. We've been trapped on this island same as Eliza-I mean, Miss Swann." I corrected hastily, seeing the look on his face.

"She's right, you know," Jack piped up. "And up until the point where this one –" He gestured towards Elizabeth, whose mouth opened slightly in indignation. "– got 'er hands on our means of liquid refreshment, we were havin' quite a good time."

"Oh, I don't doubt that," Norrington replied, glancing disapprovingly towards the pile of clothes.

I felt my face turn as red as my hair, and my fists clenched. "You son of a –" The two nameless marines suddenly stepped forward and jammed their guns against the thin fabric of my blouse. I shivered slightly, and Lizzie gave out a yelp of alarm. I saw Jack's eyes grow wider than my medallion.

"Now, do you _really_ want to finish that sentence?" Norrington drawled in a way that reminded me oddly of Barbossa.

My eyes narrowed. "Commodore Norrington," I growled, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "If you please, _sir_, may I _please_ go and retrieve my stuff?"

Norrington sneered at me triumphantly. "That's more like it. Yes, you may. Both of you," he added as an afterthought. The marines stepped back, and Jack pressed his palms together and nodded once. He sauntered over to the pile, me following stiffly. _Ice cream-headed, drunken, traitorous, bastard! _I pulled my sword violently out of the sand and sheathed it, muttering darkly.

I was reaching for my boots when I heard Norrington say, "Thank God you're safe, Elizabeth. Your father will be overjoyed."

"My father?" Lizzie repeated. "He's here?"

"Yes. He insisted on helping to look for you, and wishes you to come back to Port Royal immediately. He is very concerned about your safety."

Lizzie froze. "Port Royal…no! We can't go back yet! We have to save Will!"

I rolled my eyes and finished tying the laces of my boots as they launched into an argument. I stood up and grabbed my vest.

Jack suddenly put his hand on mine. "Let me get that for you, luv," he said softly. He gently took the vest from my slightly trembling hands and slid it over my shoulders, his fingers trailing goosebumps over my arms. I shivered slightly, but hastily coughed loudly. Norrington would just love this, wouldn't he?

"No worries, luv," Jack whispered in my ear. "We'll get out of this in no time."

"Do you have a plan?" I whispered back.

I heard him chuckle softly. "O' course I do. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow!" He gently brushed his lips against my ear. "But you knew that already, didn't you?"

I smiled. "All too well."

* * *

One awkward boat ride later, Jack and I were standing in between Murtogg and Mullroy aboard the _Dauntless_. Norrington had taken his place to the right of Governor Swann, and the two nameless marines had slunk off to do generic marine stuff. Elizabeth was once again trying to plead Will's case.

"But we've got to save Will!" she said for the umpteenth time.

"No!" Governor Swann refused firmly. "You're safe now. We will return to Port Royal immediately, _not _go gallivanting after pirates!"

"Weren't you gallivanting after _us _for the past four days?" I cut in. "Seems a bit hypocritical to me." Everyone stared at me, and Jack looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh. I cleared my throat loudly. "Um…sorry."

"Then we condemn him to death!" Lizzie went on pleadingly.

Gov. Swann sighed. "The boy's fate is regrettable, but then so was his decision to engage in piracy."

"To rescue me! To prevent anything from happening to me!"

"And with complete reluctance every step of the way," I pointed out.

Jack suddenly stepped forward. "If I may be so bold as to inject my professional opinion…" He approached Norrington. "The _Pearl _was listing near the scuppers after the battle. It's _very _unlikely that she'd be able to make good time…"

"…meaning that you'll be able to overtake her, send your men over, grab Will, and arrest about twenty-five pirates." I finished.

"Think about it. The _Black Pearl_…The last real pirate threat in the Caribbean, mate…how could you pass that up, right?" He playfully punched Norrington's shoulder.

Norrington took a deep breath. "By remembering that I serve others, Mr. Sparrow, not only myself."

"But this _would _be serving others," I argued. "You'd be saving the lives of thousands of Barbossa's would-be victims!"

"Regardless," Norrington said smoothly. "We will return to Port Royal, and the two of you will be placed under arrest for piracy, commandeering the _Interceptor_, assaulting an officer of the king's Royal Navy, and numerous other crimes." He began walking away.

"For the last time, I DID NOT assault you! You had your back turned to the enemy, which is basically going against everything they taught you in Commodore school. It was PERFECTLY OKAY for me to –"

"Commodore Norrington," Lizzie interrupted, going after him, "I beg of you, please do this. For me…as a wedding gift." Norrington froze and turned back around, eyes wide.

Gov. Swann's face lit up. "Elizabeth…are you accepting the commodore's proposal?"

Lizzie glanced over at Norrington, her face pale. "…I am."

Jack grinned. "A wedding! I _love _weddings! Drinks all around!" I burst out laughing, and everyone stared at us. I shut up reluctantly, and Jack held out his hands. "I know… 'clap 'em in irons,' right?"

Norrington walked with deliberate slowness back over to us. "Mr. Sparrow, you will accompany these fine men –" Murtogg and Mullroy grinned proudly. "– to the helm and provide us with a bearing to Isla de Muerta. You will then spend the rest of the voyage contemplating all _possible_ meanings of the phrase, 'silent as the grave.' Do I make myself clear?"

Jack smiled weakly. "_Inescapably_ clear." Murtogg and Mullroy gripped his arms and marched him off to the helm.

Norrington turned to me. "As for you, Miss Cooper, you can begin your contemplating right now." Two more marines came forward and gripped my arms in a similar fashion.

"Uh, can I say one thing first?" I asked quickly, struggling against my burden.

"What?"

I smiled slightly. "Congratulations."

Norrington's eyes seemed to soften a bit. "…thank you."

"No problem." The two marines led me off towards the brig.

_'Cause Lord knows you deserve each other._

* * *

The marines marched me down into the hold and tossed me unceremoniously into the brig. "Well, _that _wasn't very nice!" I called after their retreating backs. They didn't turn around.

I sat down against the ship's hull and sighed softly. I am now about 99-percent positive that Fate is a Norry fangirl. I mean, seriously, no one has any problem with me hating all the other PotC bad guys! Beckett, Davy Jones, Mercer, Sao Feng, Barbossa…I am allowed, even expected to hate all of them. But why is it that when I hate Norrington, everything blows up in my face?!

_Because he's not really a villain. He's more of an anti-hero. You saw At World's End!_

_So? If he hadn't stolen the heart, then Jack wouldn't have gotten kissed by Lizzie and then killed by a giant mythological squid!_

_Well, when you put it that way...hey, speaking of Jack --_

_No. Shut up._

_But – _

_Shut. Up. _

_Fine…he _is _one sexy beast__, though._

_GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HEAD!_

_You are so stubborn. I bet Elizabeth would listen._

_No, she wouldn't. She's even more stubborn than I am._

_Touché._

_Who are you, anyway? My conscience?_

_Ha! That's a good one! I'm more like…well, you know how Jack was seeing all those versions of himself at the Locker?_

_Oh, God…_

_Yep. I'm one of those. I'm like your combination Com__mon Sense/Guardian Angel thing._

_So, I'm insane?_

_Where have you been for seventeen years?_

_Why haven't you spoken to me before?_

_I spoke to you that one time on the _Interceptor.

_Besides that._

_'Cause Jack was always around._

_So?_

_He distracted me. He is really, really pretty._

_…_

_…sorry._

_You'd better be._

_Yeah…ooh, speak of the devil, here he comes now._

I was pulled out of my mental conversation by Murtogg and Mullroy throwing Jack into the cell in a similarly unceremonious manner. I waited until they left, arguing about something, before crawling over to him. "You okay, Jack?"

He lifted his head and grinned. "I am now," he answered softly. He sat up and wrapped his arms around me, pressing his lips against mine. I eagerly returned the kiss, that same out-of-body sensation returning to me. This kiss was just as good as the first, but I felt a bit more of Jack's desire thrust onto me.

Jack slowly and reluctantly ended the kiss. "Mmm…why didn't you let me do this earlier?"

I smiled softly, pressing a chaste kiss against his lips. "You know…I think I forgot."

Jack chuckled and moved to sit against the wall, pulling me into his lap. "So tell me, darlin'," he began, taking one of my hands in his. "How's that contemplating coming along?"

I thought for a moment. "I've come to two conclusions. Conclusion #1: Norrington is going to kill us."

Jack snorted. "Completely unforeseeable. What's the other one?"

"Conclusion #2: I think I'm going insane."

Jack blinked. "What?"

"Just now, I heard this little voice in my head, and we started having an argument."

Jack grinned. "I like those little voices! They're always around to talk, they agree with you no matter what, and they tell you the best places to get rum."

I rolled my eyes. "Our little voices are apparently very different from each other, then."

_Thank God for that._

_WOULD YOU GET OUT OF HERE?!_

Jack gently pulled me to lean against his chest. "You know what my little voice is telling me to do right now?"

"What?"

He smiled his Captain-Jack-Sparrow-grin. "It's telling me to give you the time of your life, savvy?" He kissed my forehead tenderly.

I closed my eyes, my breathing hitched. "Savvy."

_Man, I am so jealous of you righ__t __now._

The sound of footsteps jerked me back to reality. I immediately got off of Jack and darted over to the opposite wall, breathing hard. This had better be good.

Murtogg and Mullroy came into view. Mullroy cleared his throat importantly. "Commodore Norrington says we're to – what's the matter with you two?"

I glanced at Jack. He looked as startled and out of breath as I felt. "N-nothing," I stammered. "What are you two doing here?"

"We were ordered to watch you two so that you don't escape again," Murtogg answered. He and Mullroy stationed themselves on either side of the door. "Don't try anything funny in there, 'cause we'll see it!"

Jack and I exchanged frustrated glances. "You have gotta be f---ing kidding me," I groaned. Stupid carma.

* * *

Several uncomfortable hours later, Jack and I were allowed back on deck, as Isla de Muerta was close by. It was nighttime, and a full moon shown from the cloudless sky. The _Dauntless _glided smoothly through the graveyard of ships.

Jack stood at the railing and stared out over the water, an unreadable expression on his face. I took my place next to him. "So," I began softly. My voice sounded unnaturally loud in the gloom. "It's the big day, isn't it? The day you get back your ship."

A smile flitted across Jack's face. "Yeah…'s been so long, now…I've almost forgotten what it's like, sailing 'er." His eyes took on a glazed look. "You'll just love 'er, Kate. Fastest ship in the Caribbean, never mind that ol' Navy wreck." We shared a chuckle. "And there's the perfect view, up from the helm. You can see for miles around." He sighed softly. "Best ship in the sea."

"Oh, now you're getting me all excited," I complained.

"I like it when you get excited," Jack replied. He kissed the top of my head. "When you get excited, good things happen to yours truly, as well."

I chuckled. "Depends on what I'm excited about." I smiled at him. "And remember, we're not out o' this yet. We still have kick Barbossa's ass, something that I am greatly looking forward to."

Jack snorted. "You and me both, luv." He put an arm around me. "Looks like we really are cut from the same cloth." I rolled my eyes but smiled anyway.

Elizabeth, noticing our conversation, came up to stand beside us. She was wearing a bright red jacket and a worried expression. "You two look cheerful," she said softly, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Simply wallowing in our near-at-hand triumph and the return of my ship," Jack said simply.

A ghost of a smile showed up on Lizzie's face. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to count your chickens before they hatched?"

I grinned. "Elizabeth, we're pirates. Since when do we listen to civilized society?"

"Good point," Lizzie admitted. "Kate," she said suddenly. "May I speak with Jack for a moment?"

I frowned quizzically. "Uh…okay, sure." I stepped away from the rail and crossed to the other side of the ship, only just within earshot.

_What are you doing?!_, my inner voice suddenly shouted.

_I'm letting Lizzie talk to Jack. She asked to be alone, didn't she?_

_Don't you remember what scene this is?_

_Uh…no._

Inner Voice sighed exasperatedly. _It's the fourteenth deleted scene! Peas in a Pod! A SPARRABETH SCENE!!!_

_Oh…OH, CRAP!_I started to run back, but the conversation had already started.

"You didn't tell him about the curse," Lizzie was saying to Jack.

"I notice neither did you," was the reply. "For the same reason, I imagine."

Lizzie hesitated. "He wouldn't have risked it," she said finally, staring out to sea.

Jack smiled jokingly. "Could've gotten him drunk." Lizzie looked up at him. "Don't get me wrong, luv…I admire a person who's willing to do whatever is necessary." The warning bells in my head began to go off, and I took an involuntary step forward.

Lizzie stared at him head-on. "You're a smart man, Jack, but I don't entirely trust you."

Jack smiled and took a step closer to her. "Peas in a pod, darlin'."

Okay, _that_ does it! I gritted my teeth and walked back to them…only to see Norrington approach with the compass, looking as angry as me. Jack smiled innocently and stepped over to my side. As though to illustrate his apparent status, he wrapped me in a tight hug. I hesitated, but returned it.

Norrington didn't look fooled, either. "With me, Sparrow, Cooper," he said simply, snapping the compass shut and tossing it back to him. Jack nodded and sauntered off towards the prepared longboat. I started to follow, but Norrington caught my eye. Once again, his hazel eyes seemed to soften as he nodded to me slightly. I returned the nod, feeling a slight smile tug at my lips.

Camaraderie with James Norrington? I really _am _going insane.

* * *

I apologize for the shortness and overall strangeness of this chapter. The next chapter will be longer, more action-packed, and ol' Barbossa will put Jack and Kate's relationship to the test. Dun, dun, DUUUUUN! 


	15. When Skeletons Attack

Okay, this took a while to write. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own PotC or any of the characters mentioned here, except for Kate and Inner Voice.

* * *

Norrington ordered out four boats from the _Dauntless_ to set up a stakeout just off Isla de Muerta's shore. He, Jack, Murtogg, Mullroy, myself, and two other marines went in the lead boat. Our miniature fleet was stationed behind a grounded ship that had not sunk as far as its comrades. Norrington had his spyglass fixed on the deserted deck of the _Pearl_, just like Jack had done – had it only been yesterday morning? 

Norrington lowered his spyglass. "I don't care for the situation," he admitted to the two of us. "Any attempt to storm the caves could turn to an ambush."

"Not if _you're _the one doing the ambushing," Jack replied, smirking confidently. "Kate and I go in there and convince Barbossa to send out his men in their little boats. You and _your _mates return to the _Dauntless_ and blast the bejesus out of them with your little cannons, eh? What d'you got to lose?"

Norrington kept his gaze fixed on the _Pearl_. "Nothing I'd lament being rid of."

I cringed. "Harsh, dude. Really harsh." Silence. "You know…all joking aside, there _is _a slight chance of the pirates bypassing you people and sneaking aboard the _Dauntless_, meaning all onboard will be in quite the pickle, if you get my drift." I leaned in closer to Norrington's ear. "Including your blushing bride." I saw Norrington's face pale.

Heh. I still got it.

* * *

After about ten minutes of mass confusion, we were all set to begin the plan. One boat had returned to the _Dauntless_, conveying Norrington's new set of orders. All of the marines from our boat squashed themselves into the other two boats, leaving Jack and I alone to row into the treasure cavern and begin the next phase. 

Jack took his place at the oars, and I reached across the gap and grabbed a lantern from Murtogg. "Good luck," I heard him say in a small voice.

I smiled grimly. "Thanks. We're gonna need it." I glanced over at Norrington. I saw his eyes met mine for a brief moment, and then fix themselves back on the _Dauntless_. Frowning slightly, I stepped to the front of the boat and lit the lantern. The boat lurched forward, and we were off.

Jack and I were silent until we entered the labyrinth of tunnels. "You may wanna douse the lamp, luv," Jack suggested. "Just in case."

"Okay," I said shortly, doing as I was told. Jack paused in his rowing for a split second.

_Ouch. Cut the guy some slack, will ya?_

_What for? He was deliberately flirting with Elizabeth knowing that I could hear! I think I have a right to be mad._

_I wouldn't call that 'flirting'…_

_You don't really get out of my head much, do you?_

_…that hurt._

_Sorry._

The silence was filled only with the sound of the water washing over the oars. Jack cleared his throat loudly. "Katie…are you in any way upset with me?"

I turned to face him. His eyes looked hurt and questioning. Not wanting to feel guilty, I quickly looked away. "I…it's just…you…"

I caught a glimpse of Jack's gold teeth. "'S not like you to be speechless, luv." He sobered up quickly. "I mean it, Kate. What's bothering you?"

I suddenly felt embarrassed. "Nothing…I was just right, is all." My voice sounded bitter.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Funny, most o' the girls I've known actually _like _being right." He winced. "And that normally means I get slapped…what're you right about?"

I shook my head. "Nothing important." Jack looked at me expectantly, and I sighed deeply. "You remember back in the jail cell, when you said we were 'cut from the same cloth,' and I said that you say that to all the girls?" Jack nodded, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. "…just now on the _Dauntless_, I heard you say the same to Elizabeth." Suddenly feeling childish, I focused my attention on the dark water below.

"I didn't say Elizabeth and I were cut from the same cloth!" Jack defended himself. "I said we were peas in a pod. There's a difference."

"Same meaning!" I snapped, angry once more. Jack's eyes dimmed from hurt, and I couldn't stop the guilt this time. "I…I'm sorry, Jack. I know I have no reason to get mad. I've been sort of…unsure about relationships since I found out…" All the pain from the memories came rushing back to me, and I took a breath to steady myself. "…I found out my old boyfr– I mean, lover – had been cheating on me." I chuckled darkly. "I'm sort of the jealous type now, because of that." I stared back down at the water, struggling to keep my breathing even.

The longboat suddenly slowed; Jack had put down the oars. He looked at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable, before holding out his arms. "C'mere, luv," he said in barely more than a whisper. I shook my head and inched away from him, suddenly on the brink of tears. _Crying again…what sort of pirate am I, anyway?_

_The kind that had a less-than satisfactory childhood and needs a friend. Now, are you gonna hug Jack? If not, I'll gladly take your place._

_Like hell._

That's _my girl._

I slowly put down the darkened lantern and crawled into Jack's embrace, resting my head on his shoulder. Jack gently tilted my chin up so that I was looking straight into his eyes. He smiled. "I doubt Elizabeth – or any other girl, for that matter – could've gotten us this far, darlin'." He brushed his lips against mine, his arms tightening. I returned the kiss, surprised that this kiss seemed to be less about desire and more about tenderness.

Jack reluctantly pulled away and brushed one of my bangs away from my face. "Is that proof enough for you, luv?"

I smiled up at him. "I guess so."

Jack pouted. "Are you sure, darlin'?" His voice dropped to a whisper. "Because you look like you could use some more convincing, eh?" He closed his eyes and began kissing my neck, his arms dropping down to my hips. I sighed softly and tilted my head back, giving him more of my neck to kiss. _This was so totally worth it._

_Hello?! Earth to Katie!__ Ruggedly handsome but still pretty naïve blacksmith-turned-pirate about to DIE in the ne__x__t room!!!_

_Aww…five more minutes?_

_GET YOUR ASS IN THERE!!!!!_

_Fine._

"Jack," I sighed, gently pushing him off me, "we need to go save Will. _Now_."

"Oh, he's a smart boy, he'll be fine," Jack dismissed, kissing my palm.

I forced myself to calm the butterflies in my stomach. "Jack, stop a moment and think about what you just said."

"…"

"…"

Jack hurriedly picked up the oars. "Let's go."

* * *

By the time we reached the treasure cavern, the ritual had already started. The cave was packed with pirates, chanting their bloodlust. Will was standing behind the chest, wrists bound and looking anxious. Twigg and Koehler were standing behind him, making sure he didn't run off. Barbossa was standing next to Will, brandishing the knife and looking triumphant. They were making no mistakes this time. 

Jack, his usual confident smirk growing on his face, began pushing his way through the crowd. "'Scuse me, pardon me," he said good-naturedly in response to the pirate's dumbstruck stares. I quickly followed, glaring coldly at anyone who got too close.

Barbossa held up the knife, a maniacal glint in his eye. "Begun by blood, by blood un–" His eyes widened as he spotted us, and his mouth opened slightly. The chanting winded down as we pushed our way to the front of the line.

"Jack! Kate!" Will gasped, struggling against his bonds.

I waved up at him. "Hey, dude. Gotta love them sea turtles, eh?" Jack snorted.

"It's not possible," Barbossa breathed, baffled.

"Not _probable_," Jack corrected.

"One day, Barbossa, you'll learn that _nothing_'_s _impossible when you hang out with this lunatic," I added, pointing at Jack.

"Where's Elizabeth?" Will asked desperately, straightening up.

Bo'sun clapped a hand onto Jack shoulder, but that didn't worry him in the slightest. "She's _safe_, just like I promised. She's all set to marry Norrington, just like _she_ promised, you get to die for her just like _you _promised, and Katie here's been a great help to me just like _she _promised. So we're all men of our word, really…" I gave him a look. "…except for Kate and Elizabeth, who are, in fact, women."

"Nice save," I remarked, raising an eyebrow.

"Shut up!" Barbossa snarled at Jack. "You're next!" He leaned in to cut Will's throat.

"Uh, Barbossa?" I called up. "I really don't think you wanna do that."

Barbossa shot me a look. "No, I really think I do."

"No, I really think you _don't_."

"Aye, I _do_."

"You do not!"

Barbossa ignored me and pressed the blade against Will's throat. He stopped suddenly, rolled his eyes, and looked back at me. "_Why _don't I want to be doing it?"

Score one for lust! Wait…ew.

Jack took it from here. "Well, because –" Jack shrugged Bo'sun's hand off his shoulder. "Because the _HMS_ _Dauntless_, pride of the Royal Navy, is floating just offshore, waiting for you."

"Can't exactly say the same for the Navy themselves, but what're you gonna do?" I muttered. There was some nervous muttering from the crew.

"But no worries, mate," Jack went on, sauntering up beside Barbossa, who noticeably leaned backwards. "Like most things in life, this unfortunate bit of circumstance can be solved with only a bit of negotiations, savvy?"

"With you, I suppose?" Barbossa answered, looking grumpy.

"No," Jack shot back patronizingly. He looked over at me. "With her." I nodded in affirmation and hiked up the mound of treasure, ignoring Will's uncertain glance.

Barbossa smiled. "Ah, well _that_ be different entirely." A couple men laughed, and I gritted my teeth. Perverts. "What exactly did ye have in mind, missy?" Barbossa asked smoothly.

I smiled. "Glad you asked. So here's what's gonna happen: you send your people out to the _Dauntless_, they go shoot people, wave their swords around, and otherwise cause general chaos." The crew grinned and nodded gamely. "When all that's done, the _Dauntless_ will be drifting all by itself, no one left to be her captain…except for you. And you _will _end up captaining her, and if you add that to the _Pearl_, then you get two ships, which means…" I leaned in a little closer. "You'll have control over a _fleet_. You, my good man, will be unstoppable."

Barbossa smiled. "Well, with an offer like that…"

"Wait, I haven't started negotiating yet!" I waited until the crowd had quieted down. Jack smiled encouragingly. "Now, as you can imagine, someone has to act in your stead onboard one of those ships. You, of course, should take the bigger and more heavily armed ship as your flagship. It is, after all…good business."_ Oh, God…_ "So that means, the _Pearl_ will be left captain-less. Now, here's what I've come up with: if you name Jack the _Pearl_'s captain, not only will he _not _run off with your ship, he'll give up ten percent of his plunder. But a much bigger reward would be the fact that you can call yourself _Commodore _Barbossa. Really does have a nice ring to it."

Barbossa took about thirty seconds to analyze for loopholes. "I suppose, in exchange, you'd want me not to kill the whelp."

I grinned. "Well, actually –"

"No, no, no. Not at all," Jack interrupted quickly. I rolled my eyes. "By all means, kill the whelp. Just…not yet. Wait to lift the curse until the opportune moment." He pulled a couple of coins out of the chest. "For instance, after you've killed Norrington's men." With each of his next words, he dropped one coin into the chest. "Every…last…one." I saw him tuck the remaining coin into his sleeve.

Will's eyes flashed, and his struggling doubled. "You've been planning this from the beginning! Ever since you learned my name!"

"Yep," Jack answered remorselessly.

"Still rooting for you, mate!" I said, giving him a thumbs-up. He looked over at me, a betrayed look in his eyes. Feeling a little guilty, I turned back to Barbossa. "So, do we have an accord, or what?"

Barbossa thought for a moment. "I want fifty percent of your plunder."

"Fifteen!" Jack haggled.

"Forty!"

"Twenty-five! And I'll buy you a hat! A really big one…Commodore."

I sighed. "Okay, people, this is not rocket science! Either we have an accord, or we – _mmph_!" Barbossa's arm shot around my waist and he kissed me hungrily, smashing his tongue between my lips. I froze up, eyes wide with panic. He tasted sort of sour and cold, and his breath was terrible. I heard a strange noise from Jack, half-panicked, half-furious.

I finally regained control of my brain and shoved Barbossa off me. I spat onto the floor, glaring at him. "What –" I spat again. "– the hell – is your – problem!? That wasn't – part of – the deal!" Augh, I still can't get the taste out of my mouth! Bleh!

Barbossa grinned smugly, licking his lips. "We have an accord." He stuck out his hand, but Jack didn't shake it. His hands were balled into fists, and his face looked pale. His eyes seemed to be black with rage and jealousy. He looked coldly at Barbossa's hand, and made a sort of growling noise deep in his throat.

"Uh, Jack?" I said loudly. "You're supposed to shake his hand."

"Hmm? Oh, yeah…" Jack quickly shook Barbossa's hand, his eyes back to their normal coloring. He turned to face the crew and spread his arms wide. "All hands to the boats!" Barbossa gave him a warning look. "Apologies," Jack said sheepishly, though not looking very sorry at all. "You give the orders."

Barbossa smirked. "Gents…take a walk." The pirates filed out of the cavern, laughing bloodthirstily.

Jack's smile faded. "Not to the boats?" Barbossa's sneer widened.

I spat yet again. "If you weren't a good guy in the third movie, I would so totally shoot you myself."

* * *

I still couldn't get the taste out of my mouth, even twenty minutes later. I'd stopped spitting though, and had consented to a disgusted grimace. 

"Oh, come now, missy, t'wasn't that bad," Barbossa said to me, still with that smug smirk. He was standing at the foot of the treasure mound with the chest, tossing an apple repeatedly into the air. Will was being held captive by Monk and Jacoby. A third pirate – I forgot his name – was skipping stones in one of the more flooded areas of the room. Jack was examining the treasure, walking a bit stiffly from frustration. Things were not going according to plan. But hey, what else is new?

I glared at him. "You say one more word about it, and I swear, I'll –"

"Not much ye _can_ do," Barbossa pointed out. "And if you're so against it, my suggestion is to close that pretty little mouth o' yours." His smile widened. "I find your feisty attitude quite alluring." I turned my back to him pointedly, feeling my cheeks redden. _Bastard._

_I feel your pain. What'd he taste like, anyway?_

_Rotten apples._

_So I take it you prefer stale rum to rotten apples?_

I looked over at Jack, who smiled warmly. I smiled back. _Uh-huh._

_Hmm…yeah, me too._

Barbossa turned to Jack, whose smile faltered. "I must admit, Jack, I thought I had you figured. But it turns out you're a hard man to predict."

Jack looked back at him unblinkingly. "Me, I'm dishonest. And a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest, honestly! It's the _honest _ones you want to watch out for." He came up behind the guy skipping stones and looked pointedly at Will. "Because you can never predict when they're gonna do something incredibly…stupid."

"I'm sorry, can we repeat that point? HONEST PEOPLE DO STUPID THINGS!" I shouted, and Will's face flushed. I took a couple deep breaths and smiled demurely at Barbossa. "You know, mate, I'm still sort of new to the whole piracy thing, so by some people, I could be considered…_honest_!" I pulled my sword from its sheath, and Jack followed suit, grabbing the pirate's sword as well and pushing him into the water. He tossed the extra cutlass to Will, who caught it deftly with his bound hands (more practice, I assume) and locked blades with Jacoby. Monk barely had time to pull his sword out before I went for him, and Jack faced Barbossa.

Monk was not an overly strong fighter, so I was able to watch the fight while steadily overpowering him. Glancing over my shoulder, I spotted Will turn around to dodge Jacoby's sword, and the blade cut harmlessly through the rope. Both hands free, Will redoubled his efforts, and Jacoby looked a bit freaked out. The other guy had finally gotten to his feet and ran to give Jacoby some much-needed assistance.

Monk suddenly picked up his game, and a particularly hard blow sent my sword flying of my hand. Monk pressed the sword tip against my neck, leering at me. "Gotta keep yer eye on the fight, lassie," he growled.

I smiled coolly. "Good advice. I'll keep it in mind!" I swung my leg around and kicked him in the side. Even though he couldn't feel it, he lost his balance and toppled into the water. I quickly spun around and dove for my sword. By the time Monk had gotten to his feet, I had redoubled my offense and had the upper hand once again.

Jack and Barbossa seemed to have a pretty even match. Every one of their blows was met by the other's cutlass, but that was about to change. Jack feinted left and lunged upwards, slicing off the feather in Barbossa's hat. "Ha, ha!" he laughed, but he barely had time to block a swing from an enraged Barbossa.

"You're off the edge of the map, mate," Barbossa snarled after a few more swings. "Here there be monsters!" He shoved Jack into one of the more larger treasure piles.

"Yeah, and they're all ugly as hell!" I called out, side-stepping a blow from Monk.

Barbossa's scowl deepened. "Why, ye little –" Jack suddenly stabbed him in the back (literally this time), and Barbossa sank to the floor, caught off guard. But he was on his feet again soon enough, and angrier than ever.

Monk tried once again to get an opening, but I quickly blocked yet another one of his blows, the force causing my arm to tremble. This was apparently the last straw for Monk. With a roar of fury, he raised his sword high above his head and charged at me.

_Oh, shit! Now what? _I'd never faced this sort of attack; my old teacher said that this sort of move went against all convention and rules of engagement, and had never used it on me. Unsure of what do to, I glanced over towards Jack, who looked at me at the same time. In the instant our eyes met, it came to me. As Monk drew closer, I leapt into the air, spun in a full circle, and leaned back as far as I could, just as Jack had done in the smithy. Monk's sword swung harmlessly over my head, and Jack grinned widely.

Monk stared at me, dumbfounded. "How'd you do that?"

"Like I'd tell you," I answered, smiling smugly.

Monk was suddenly shoved away by Will, who smiled and offered a hand. I took it gratefully and straightened up. "You know, that wasn't very fair to him," I pointed, gesturing towards the fallen pirate.

Will simply smiled. "Pirate."

I nodded approvingly. "Well, it's about time!" Monk, Jacoby, and the third guy suddenly came rushing towards us, and our fight continued.

The duel between Jack and Barbossa had taken them to the elevated pathways of the cavern. Up there, moonlight shone through a few holes in the ceiling, and Barbossa's skeletal form was revealed every time they passed through them.

Barbossa smiled triumphantly as he pushed Jack to the ground, spreading his arms out. "Ye can't beat me, Jack!"

In stubborn defiance, Jack leapt ton his feet, and stabbed Barbossa in the stomach. Barbossa looked at the sword, sighed exaggeratedly, pulled it out, and drove it into Jack's chest. Jack's eyes widened to the size of golf balls, and he made a strangled, choking noise. It was so realistic; I actually forgot he was just acting and gasped loudly.

Monk smirked at me. "Ol' Sparrow's through now!"

I regained control of my breathing. "No, he's not," I answered. "He's just a good actor." As I finished saying this, Jack staggered backwards into a beam of moonlight, revealing a skeletal form of his own. The look on Barbossa's face was priceless.

Jack slowly examined his hands. "That's interesting," he said thoughtfully. I saw Will jam a golden jar onto the third guy's head and shove him back into the water. He looked up at Jack, eyes wide.

Jack smiled – at least, that's what it _looked _like – and revealed the coin he had snatched. "Couldn't resist, mate," he explained, slipping the coin through his fingers. Barbossa recovered quickly and continued the fight. Monk and Jacoby took their captain's example, and Will and I soon had our hands full. At least that other guy was out.

"Hey, Will!" I shouted, remembering the next scene. "I have an idea! Run straight at me!" Will did as he was told, and our opponents immediately followed us. Just as we were about to collide, we leapt out of the way. Jacoby's sword plunged into Monk's stomach, and Monk howled in pain. Catching on, Will snuck behind Jacoby, and Monk's sword was soon sticking out of Jacoby's stomach. I took a moment to laugh, but ran alongside Will as the two cursed pirates pulled the swords out and attacked us again.

"So what now, Jack Sparrow?" I heard Barbossa ask from somewhere to our right. "Are we to be two immortals locked in an epic battle until Judgment Day and trumpets sound?"

"Or you could surrender," Jack suggested. A few moments later, I saw him run back into our part of the cavern, Barbossa on his heels.

Jacoby suddenly began throwing grenades, and Will and I dove out of the way to either side. Jacoby stood over Will, sneering. "I'm gonna teach you the meaning of pain!"

"You like pain?" Elizabeth came out of nowhere and slammed a thick pole against the side of Jacoby's head. "Try wearing a corset," she finished through gritted teeth. She held out the pole pulled Will to his feet.

"Nice of you to join us," I said cheerfully, coming up beside them. "Unfortunately, this seems to be a bad time!" I blocked a glancing blow from Monk.

Lizzie looked around and spotted the dueling captains. "Whose side is Jack on?"

Will shrugged. "At the moment?"

"OURS!" I shouted, ducking to avoid Monk's sword. "NOW, ARE YOU TWO GONNA HELP ME OR WHAT!?!" The two looked at each other, nodded, and launched back into the battle.

The third guy finally got the jar off his head, but it was too late; Will and Lizzie and already rammed the pole through all three skeletons. I grabbed a grenade from Jacoby's belt and shoved it in between his ribs. Before he could get it out, we pushed the three back into the shadows, away from the moonlight. Jacoby scrabbled at his chest for a moment before whimpering, "No fair!"

The three of us turned tail and ran just as the explosion went off. I ducked to avoid falling debris (Gross!), but tripped over the abandoned jar and fell flat on my face. I looked up just in time to see Jack toss his medallion, stained with his blood, to Will.

Barbossa suddenly spotted Elizabeth running towards Will. She stopped in her tracks as Barbossa pulled out his pistol, a determined look in his eye.

_BANG!_

Lizzie gasped with shock, and even I felt a jolt. Barbossa's brow furrowed in confusion as he glanced over his shoulder. Jack had aimed his pistol right at Barbossa's chest, and the barrel was smoking.

Barbossa sneered at him. "Ten years you carry that pistol, and now you waste your shot!"

"He didn't waste it!" Barbossa's eyes shot from Will, to the knife, to the two coins. Will's face hardened and he dropped the coins into the chest. I suddenly felt my medallion grow warm, and I held it away from my collarbone.

Crimson blood blossomed from the wound in Barbossa's chest. He looked down at the blood incredulously, and then back at Jack. "I feel…cold," he whispered. His face went blank, and he fell backwards onto the ground, an apple rolling from his hand. It was over. We'd finally won.

* * *

There's a new poll up, if anyone's interested. One chapter to go! 


	16. What's Right By One Man

Well folks, here we are. You've all stuck it out beautifully, and I got off my lazy butt to do something productive, and we all made it. I've had a lot of fun writing this, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. I want to thank all of my wonderful reviewers. You guys are the reason I get up at seven in the morning on a Saturday to type up the next chapter.

For all those who asked, I am planning a sequel, and let me tell you, you will not see some of this stuff coming. It's INSANE! But I'm not arrogant, or anything. XD As for the poll, it may or may not be the true result, but I'd love to hear what you want to read. So far, the scores are:

**Norrington: 6****5**

**Barbossa: ****2****3**

**Will: ****3**

**Beckett: ****7**

Which is totally NOT what I expected. However, **Cessations** and **Lady Barbossa329 **have sent me personal e-mails regarding their votes, and that's always a plus! I'll keep the poll open for two more weeks before announcing the winner (I've still got my vote to cast…)

Disclaimer: Nothing but Kate. Blah.

* * *

I think I might've blacked out for a moment, because I felt Will shaking me pretty hard. I groggily lifted my head to meet his worried gaze. "What?"

"Are you alright?" he asked simply. "It's been a few minutes, and you haven't gotten up yet."

I hoisted myself to my feet. "I'm okay…you?"

"Fine…" Will murmured, staring into space. I followed his gaze; Elizabeth was standing a short distance away, looking down at one of the piles of treasure.

I looked back at Will, shaking my head. "No. No, you're not fine. You are perhaps the furthest from fine you could possibly be…at the present time," I added as an afterthought, thinking of later movies. "Seriously, Will, what's up?"

Will was silent for a moment before answering. "…she proposed to the Commodore…"

"She didn't have a choice," I replied softly. "They wouldn't let us go after you if –"

I broke off as Will's dark brown eyes fixed on me, and I saw the hopelessness behind them. "There's always a choice," he whispered. "You and Jack taught me that."

I had no comeback for that. "Will…" We were silent for a long moment. Will would not take his eyes off me, and I averted my gaze. I saw Jack rooting through the piles of gold, oblivious to the solemnity of the situation. Finally, I cleared my throat and looked back at Will. "At least go _talk_ to her."

Will stared blankly at me before hurriedly shaking his head. "No, Kate, I can't!"

"Why not?"

"…I just can't."

I snorted. "Remember what I told you before? You never know what you can or can't do until you try it out." Will hesitated, but slowly nodded and made his way over to Elizabeth. I pulled a large treasure chest from the pile and sat down, crossing one leg over the other. He had to do this by himself.

Will stood just behind Elizabeth and folded his arms behind his back politely. Sensing him there, Lizzie turned around and smiled at him a bit sadly. I couldn't see Will's expression, but I could tell he wasn't smiling back. Jack suddenly ruined the moment by throwing aside a piece of the treasure, creating a loud CRASH! Will and Elizabeth looked at him briefly, and then back at each other.

After an awkward pause, Lizzie said softly, "We should return to the _Dauntless_."

I saw Will's fists clench. _Uh-oh…_ "You're fiancé will be wanting to know you're safe." _Ugh, you idiot!!!_

Lizzie's smile disappeared, and her eyes brimmed with tears. She stood there in shock for a long second, but when Will said nothing else, she turned and walked swiftly towards the caves entrance, hiding her tears.

I almost got up, but Jack beat me to it. Adorned in gold jewelry and a lopsided crown on his head, he swaggered over to Will and gestured to Elizabeth's retreating form. "If you were waiting for the opportune moment…that was it," he said unhelpfully. I sighed deeply, rolling my eyes.

I looked back at the others to find Jack staring back at me. A slow smile crept across his face. I saw him mutter something to Will before coming over to me. I quickly scooted over to give him room on the chest to sit. He took the invitation gladly, draping an arm across my shoulders and kissing my cheek.

"Lookin' a bit pale, there, luv," he observed, frowning slightly. "Feelin' alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I answered, resting my head on his shoulder. "Just…it's hard to believe we're finally done." I smiled up at him.

Jack looked at me with mock surprise. "We're not through yet, luv!" I raised an eyebrow, and he grinned again. "You haven't had a proper tour o' the _Pearl_ yet! I'm gonna show you all the best spots: the helm, the forecastle…" He leaned in tantalizingly close to my ear. "_The cabin__…_"

I chuckled softly and wrapped one arm around his neck, breathing in his familiar scent. "You've got a one-track mind, don't you, Jack?"

"Can't help it," Jack murmured in reply, brushing my bangs away from my face. "You're just…you're so bloody amazing, Kate." He began trailing kisses down my jaw, his hot tongue rasping over my skin.

_Oh, my God…_

_See? I told you he was serious!_

"Jack," I said hoarsely, feeling like my insides had completely frozen.

I felt Jack's mouth twitch into a smile. "Mmm?" He pulled away and our eyes met.

"Don't…don't stop, Jack…"

Jack smiled and kissed me hungrily, his tongue pushing into my mouth. I moaned quietly and slid my hands down his chest. I felt him shudder and pull me closer to him. Beneath my fingertips, his heartbeat sped up. _Jack…_

We went for as long as we could without breathing, and even then I pulled away reluctantly, red-faced and breathless. Jack looked out of breath as well, but that didn't stop him from trying to kiss me again. I shook my head and turned my head to the side so that Jack's lips met my cheek.

Jack stuck out his bottom lip in a pout. "Kaaaaate," he whined.

I bit back a laugh. "Let's not rub it in." I gestured to Will, who was making an effort not to look at us.

Jack sighed exasperatedly. "Oh, _fine_…you'll just have to make up for it later, savvy?" His eyes twinkled mischievously as he stood and offered his arm.

I linked my arm with his. "Savvy."

* * *

"Oh, shit," I groaned a few minutes later. "That's not a good thing."

"Oh, really? I couldn't tell!" Jack snapped. I excused his rudeness this time; he did have a good reason. He, Will, Elizabeth, and I had rowed out of the caves and were now back in the bay, staring out at the spot where the _Pearl _was supposed to be waiting. All that we saw was the _Dauntless_, waiting patiently to take us to our deaths.

Nobody spoke for a long time. Jack's face was getting increasingly paler, and his eyes were dark and lifeless. Elizabeth looked guilty, and Will just looked shocked. As for me, I was furious. _How could they just leave us here to die?! Even Gibbs agreed, the superstitious bastard!_

_Watch your language, Kate. They _are _pirates, after all._

_Yeah, but I thought Gibbs cared about us._

_They come back, remember?_

_So? They don't know that. They think we're going to die because they hijacked our ship!_

_Point taken. __But don't give up yet__; the movie's not over till the credits roll._

_Yeah…_I felt better, but not much.

Lizzie finally spoke up. "I'm sorry, Jack."

Jack was silent for a moment before answering. "They've done what's right by them. Can't expect more than that."

I looked over at Will, who met my gaze uncertainly. "Sometimes what's right by one man isn't what's right for another." Will look thoughtful for a moment, but then hurriedly looked away and picked up the oars again, sealing our fate.

* * *

Norrington, of course, did not share our somber mood, for he had just captured a boatload of dangerous pirates, won a battle, and gotten the girl of his dreams (or so he thought). And when he found out the most dangerous pirate in the Caribbean and his partner were turning themselves over to him? He was positively ecstatic – on the inside, of course. It would be improper to do a victory dance and laugh mockingly before his injured crew. So instead, he smirked haughtily as he ordered Jack to be removed for questioning and me to be thrown, once again, into the brig. Asshole.

The marines that escorted me down to the brig looked exhausted and shell-shocked, and one of them had a large gash across his forehead. I said nothing, but I felt a wave of guilt overcome me. It wasn't these guys' fault, they were just following orders. They hadn't deserved this, and now they were injured. Some of them had even died. I couldn't find it to be angry at them.

…I guess that goes for the crew as well. Both of them.

Speaking of the crew, the brig was pretty much packed to the brim with Barbossa's crew, looking even worse than the marines. My noise recoiled at the reek of blood, and I coughed quietly. The marines winced sympathetically and nudged me in somewhat apologetically. The pirates looked up as the door closed again, but their eyes were broken and empty; they looked like they didn't give a damn about anything. Which was pretty much how I felt.

I sat down beside the door, hugging my knees tightly. "This sucks," I said quietly.

"You said it," Twigg grumbled. There were murmurs of agreement from the others, and then everything was silent once again.

I don't know how long I sat there before it came to me. _I'm gonna die._

_Come again?_

_I'M GONNA F---ING DIE!_

_No, you're not. Will goes and saves Jack, remember?_

_Yeah. He saves _Jack_. That plan __of__ his will only work if _one _person is being hung. He can't save us both!_

_What if he goes after you instead?_

_Then I'd die anyway. Jack would be dead, and I…I don't know if I can live without him. So, either way you look at it, I'm gonna f---ing die!_

_Oh…crap._

Aw, man…I don't wanna die yet! It's only the first movie! If I'm dying at all in here, I want to wait till the Shipwreck Cove battle, or at least the Kraken scene! I'm only seventeen! And what about my friends, what about Jeff and Ross?Will I just disappear in my world? I felt tears slide down my cheeks. I'm not ready to die yet!

I jumped as the door slowly creaked open. Jack stumbled into the cell, his crown and gold jewelry confiscated. Unlike the rest of us, he seemed a bit more lifelike; he glared openly at the guards as they slammed the door shut and marched off. He stood there for a long time, fists clenched and trembling with rage, before sinking down to the floor, just as defeated as the rest of us.

Wiping my eyes, I slowly leaned over and took his hand. He tensed up, startled, but visibly relaxed when he saw I was me. He smiled encouragingly and squeezed my hand. I tried to smile, too, but I'm sure it came out more like a grimace. Jack must've known what I meant, as he squeezed my hand comfortingly. I leaned against his shoulder and closed my eyes, feeling him wrap an arm around me.

Well, here's one thing: at least we're going down together.

* * *

"This is absolutely ridiculous! You can't possibly know what you're saying, Elizabeth!"

"Please trust me, Commodore Norrington. Just look around her neck once we get there."

The sound of voices moved sluggishly through my head. I felt exhausted and light-headed, and it seemed like the world around me wasn't really all there. _I guess I blacked out again…_I opened my eyes and quietly lifted my heavier-than-usual head. For a moment, everything seemed dark, but then the brig – strangely empty, except for Jack, who looked like he was asleep – slowly slid into focus. I pulled myself up to a sitting position just as a door slammed in the distance. I saw Elizabeth hurry down the steps, closely followed by Norrington and Will. Lizzie and Will had a sort of determined look about them, while Norrington just looked confused.

Lizzie's eyes lit up as she approached the cell. "Oh, Kate, you're finally awake! You had us all worried!"

I frowned and glanced over at Norrington, whose eyes were firmly fixed at a point over my head. "…worried? Why would you be worried about me?"

"You've been unconscious for a while," Will explained. "At least three days."

Whoa…guess I was more wiped than I thought. "What happened to –?"

"The other prisoners were escorted off the ship and to the jail at Fort Charles, where they will remain until their executions," Norrington recited emotionlessly, his eyes still turned towards the ceiling.

Fort Charles? Had we made it back already? Damn, this tub's faster than it looks…"So lemme guess: it's our turn, right?"

"Of course not!" Lizzie cut in. She smiled warmly, but her eyes looked urgent. "Well, not _you_, at least. You're the victim in this."

I raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"Oh, her memory must still be a little weak," Lizzie said to Norrington sadly. "You see there, around her neck? There's the medallion." I hurriedly moved to cover the coin, but the looks in Lizzie and Will's eyes stopped me.

Norrington bent down a little bit and leaned closer to the cell door. Not following any of this, I tilted my head back to give him a better look at the coin. Norrington's eyes widened and he scrambled backwards in an undignified manner. "Good Lord! You two were right!" He quickly composed himself. "I assume this coin does not turn you into one of those…skeleton people, correct?"

I swallowed the urge to burst out laughing, but I thought I saw the corners of Jack's mouth curve upwards. "Uh, no. No, it acts in a different curse. You see, what it does is…um…" My brain froze up. Smooth, Katie. Now what are you supposed to say?

"It controls her mind," Will finished confidently after a moment.

Norrington frowned. "What?"

"What?" I echoed.

_What the hell's gotten into that boy?_

_I think the emotional stress has finally gotten to him._

_Oh, sweet! Maybe I can go talk to _his_ inner voice now…_

Will nodded in affirmation. "Yes, she…she angered a…a gypsy, and a curse was placed on her, and whoever holds that medallion gains control of her mind and…forces her to do their bidding," he finished lamely.

"That's right," Lizzie confirmed. "And Captain Sparrow figured out how the curse works, and so he tricked her into behaving like a pirate so he could take revenge on those pirates back at Isla de Muerta. Poor Kate is just now coming to, that's why she was unconscious for so long. Isn't that right, Kate?" She looked at me pointedly.

Ohhh, _now _I get it! "Um…yeah, that's it," I answered quickly. "Commodore Norrington, I…I did still have a little bit of awareness, even though I couldn't control myself, so…I'm sorry about your back." I put on my best puppy-dog eyes.

Norrington's own eyes softened as he looked straight at me this time. "That's quite alright, Miss Cooper, it's completely healed. Now, let's get you ashore and see if we can't do something about finding where you came from."

I frowned quizzically. "Wait…what? Aren't I being…you know…sentenced to a short drop and sudden stop?" I matched Gibbs' pantomime with my medallion. Norrington blinked in confusion, and I inwardly cringed. _You idiot! How're you supposed to explain that?_

Norrington finally shook his head. "No. Governor Swann has been informed of the situation and is working on clemency papers for both you and Mr. Turner." I saw his eyes flicker to Lizzie, who kept a straight face."

A slow smile spread across my face. I was going to live! We all were! "That's…that's wonderful, Commodore, thank you!"

A pink tinge surfaced on Norrington's cheeks. "It's not me you should be thanking, Miss," he said embarrassedly. "Now let's get you out before _he_ wakes up." He shot Jack an accusatory look. I nervously looked over at well. Jack's smile had disappeared – he was now biting his bottom lip, and his eyelids were flickering now and again. I felt a lump come to my throat.

I stood up as Norrington unlocked the cell door. Giving him a weak smile, I stepped out of the brig, willing myself not to look back.

_What are you doing!? Get back in there! You're not just gonna leave Jack, are you?_

_What choice do I have? Besides, he'll be okay._

_Yeah, but he doesn't know that._

I took a deep breath. "Commodore Norrington? If it's okay with you…may I have a moment to compose myself?"

Norrington hesitated, but then nodded. "Of course. When you're ready, feel free to come above." He started up the stairs. Will and Elizabeth followed, grinning at me.

I turned back and looked through the cell door. The door above us slammed shut, and Jack cautiously opened one eye – it looked like he'd been awake the whole time. "Finally," he muttered, crawling over to the door and smiling up at me. "Thought they'd never leave. Good thinking, luv."

I returned the smile and knelt down so that we were face-to-face. "I'm going to assume that you have _some _idea of what the hell just happened?"

Jack held up his hands in a motion of surrender. "Guilty as charged. But I can't tell you now," he added in response to my expression. "You'll find out soon, nothing t' worry about." He slipped his fingers through the bars.

I intertwined my fingers with his. "You put 'em up to it, didn't you?" Instead of answering, Jack lowered his head and gently kissed my fingers, one at a time. I stayed focused. "Why?"

Jack paused, and then his eyes met mine again. "Like I said, luv…young Mr. Turner will tell you after I've…" He broke off, and then sighed quietly. "Well…I s'pose this is it." He smiled again, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Thanks fer everything, Katie. Couldn't have beaten Barbossa without you." He sighed again. "Just wish I could've kept my part o' the bargain."

I chuckled. "I didn't exactly finish my job, either." I was silent for a long moment before speaking again. "Jack…you…you're not supposed to die."

Jack looked at me sadly. "I know, luv…I was supposed to get back the _Pearl_, right?" His voice was bitter.

I hurriedly shook my head. "No, that not what I…I'm not gonna let you die, Jack," I said firmly. "I won't let you."

It could've been my eyes playing tricks on me, but I thought I saw a tear slide down his cheek. "Katie…I don't think anyone can do that. Not by themselves."

The door suddenly opened. "Miss Cooper? Are you alright?" Norrington's voice called down.

I exchanged a panicked look with Jack. "Um, yeah! Yes, I'll be right up!"

Jack waited until the door closed again before speaking. "You should go, now…g'bye, Katie. Good luck being civilized."

"Jack…" I knew I had to go _now_, but I just couldn't leave him. Telling myself over and over that he was going to be fine, I slowly stood and made my way towards the steps. I looked over my shoulder one last time. "I'm not gonna let you die," I repeated. Before he could reply, I raced up the stairs and out the door, swallowing the urge to cry.

* * *

The next day was Jack's execution. Don't ask me to explain anything that happened before that – it was all a blur.

It was midmorning and a gorgeous day, with no clouds in the sky and a comfortably warm temperature. The gallows had been repaired and were looming ominously before us. A smartly dressed man stood to one side on a raised platform, holding a scroll under his arm. Several marines were stationed nearby, a few with drums and all with rifles. Murtogg and Mullroy were near the back, holding up the Port Royal coat of arms. A large crowd of civilians had gathered and were now waiting anxiously for the accused to come out. I stood next to Will (who looked admittedly sexy in his red velvet cape and fancy feathered hat) near the front of the crowd. Will stood with his head bowed and fists clenched, looking furious. I kept my eyes fixed on the swinging noose. _That could've been around _my _neck…_

The marines suddenly picked up their sticks and began playing the execution march on their drums. The crowd murmured excitedly as the door to the prison opened. Jack was led out by the heavyset, helmeted executioner, his hands bound. The executioner marched Jack up to the gallows, leered at him, and moved off to the side, fingering the lever maliciously. I shuddered and tried not to look at the axe hanging from his belt.

The man looked at the crowd dramatically, unfurled the scroll, and began to read. "Jack Sparrow, be it known that you –"

I saw Jack sigh exasperatedly. "Captain, _Captain_ Jack Sparrow," he muttered.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Will." Will looked up at me, and I unblinkingly met his gaze. "You can do what you want, but I'm stopping this hanging. I'm not just gonna stand by and watch my best friend get killed." I gazed at him intently. "It's not the right thing to do."

Will didn't answer for a long time. "Follow me," he said finally and began pushing his way to the back of the crowd. I followed obediently.

Lizzie, Norrington, and Governor Swann were standing on a second raised platform, watching the proceedings grimly. As Will and I approached, I heard the Governor say, "Commodore Norrington is bound by the law, as are we all."

_Make that ALMOST all._

The three high-society members looked up as Will moved in front of the platform (I preferred to stay to the side). "Governor Swann…Commodore," Will greeted respectfully, and both men nodded in acknowledgement. Will turned to Lizzie, his eyes filled with longing. "Elizabeth…I should've told you every day from the moment I met you…I love you."

_Well, it's about time!_

_Tell me about it._

Lizzie's eyes widened, and Gov. Swann and Norrington looked over at her, shocked. I averted my gaze and spotted Cotton's parrot struggling to keep its balance on the shaking coat-of-arms staff. A slow smile spread across my face. "Showtime," I breathed. I started forward, but I felt a hand clap my shoulder. I looked over at Will, whose face was set in determination. He opened his mouth, but I held up a hand to stop him. I knew what he was going to say. "Make sure you buy Jack some time with one of those swords," I whispered, motioning to the two weapons tucked into his belt. "You go after the executioner, I'll take the redcoats." Will nodded, and we started pushing through the crowd.

The march suddenly picked up to a roll, and a flash of panic passed through Jack's eyes. The executioner stepped forward and slipped the noose over his head.

"HURRY!" I screamed, feeling hyperventilation coming on.

"MOVE!" Will shouted, shoving people aside. For a moment, I saw nothing but the jostling crowd, but then a path was cleared for us and I spotted the executioner reach for the lever…

"WILL, NOW!" I called out, and Will unsheathed his sword and threw it. Just as the trapdoor gave out and Jack fell, the sword buried itself into the wood and Jack landed on it awkwardly, his feet slipping on the blade. Good…we had some time.

Will raced up the steps to the gallows as the executioner pulled out the ax. The marines dropped their drums and raced towards me, hurriedly loading their guns. Other marines rushed in from my other side, readying their bayonets. "Oh, please," I muttered, unsheathing my sword. "Way too easy." I took a deep breath, crouched down, and waited. Once the two groups were only feet away, I leapt up onto the gallows, ducking to avoid the swinging ax. The marines crashed into each other and collapsed onto the ground, struggling to regain their footing.

I howled with laughter. "Oh, snap! Thirty moron pileup, avoid at all costs!"

A bullet suddenly whizzed past my ear. I yelped, lost my balance, and fell forwards into the pile of redcoats. I lay there for a moment, stunned, but quickly looked up to see Norrington toss a gun behind him and pull out his sword. "Right, then," I muttered, and leapt to my feet. "Bring it on, Ice Cream."

He brought it, all right. I barely had enough time to block his washing blow. I gasped as the jolts raced up my arm – this guy was strong! I gritted my teeth and pushed forward. Norrington blocked me easily and slashed at my shoulder. I just barely dodged. _Okay…looks like I'll have resort to the unorthodox. Sweet. _I quickly feinted right. When Norrington moved to block me, I started slashing at _his_ shoulder. Norrington's eyes widened and he leapt out of the way, but not fast enough – I saw blood ooze out of a shallow (but long) cut on his shoulder.

Norrington looked at his wound, and then back at me. "You…you –"

_CRASH! _There was a tremendous scream from the crowd as Will shoved the executioner off the gallows. The big guy flew into the air and completely crushed Norrington – leaving me seconds to get out of the way.

I laughed again. "Nice one, eunuch!"

Will leapt off the gallows, somersaulting in midair, and landed on his feet beside me. "I'm NOT a eunuch!"

"O' course you're not," an all-too-familiar voice answered. Jack came up from underneath the gallows, the rope he had so recently been hanging by in his hand. He grinned widely. "Proved me wrong again, luv!"

"You really should have more faith in me!" I shot back. "You guys take care of these marines; I'll try and clear a path for us." I only gave them enough time to nod in agreement before racing off towards the edge of the fort.

The crowd was in full-blown panic, now, and all the running around and screaming wasn't helping. It took about three minutes to push through the crowd, even with my sword out. Finally, I made it out to the wall and leaned out over the edge, careful not to fall in. The _Pearl _wasn't there. "C'mon, Gibbs, where the hell are you?" I muttered.

"Halt!"

"Drop your weapon, pirate!"

"…f--k."

* * *

The marines led me over to the overhang, where Jack and Will were just finishing up their most awesome escape plan. A circle of marines was guarding them, guns pointed straight at them. Will was making one last escape attempt, while Jack seemed a bit preoccupied with the feather in Will's hat. Norrington was standing in front of them, looking smug. His coat was ruffled and his hat askew, but he looked no worse for wear from the executioner's piledrive. He had stopped bleeding, although his coat had some pretty nasty bloodstains on it.

The marines pushed me into the circle beside Jack and Will and squeezed in themselves. I looked up at my comrades and smiled weakly. "Okay, so…we might need more practice."

"Maybe a little," Will agreed, scowling at the marines.

"I'm sure we can find time t' work that in, after we _hang_!" Jack cut in.

"The sarcasm is not appreciated, Jack!"

"…sorry."

Norrington pressed his sword against the side of Will's neck. "I thought we might have to endure some manner of ill-conceived escape attempt, but not from you." He glared at me. "Is there something you would like to share with us, _Miss _Cooper?"

I smirked confidently. "Never trust a pirate, mate."

Governor Swann and Elizabeth stepped forward. The Governor looked appalled. "On our return to Port Royal, I granted you clemency," he reminded us, "and _this _is how you thank me? By throwing in your lot with _him_? He's a pirate!"

"And a good man!" Will shot back.

"Damn straight!" I agreed.

There was a mass flinch at my choice of words. "If all I've achieved here," Will continued, "is that the hangman would've earned two pairs of boots instead of one, then so be it. At least my conscience will be clear."

"I'm with him," I agreed. "I may be a pirate, but I'd rather hang than abandon my mates."

"You forget your place, Turner," Norrington sneered.

Will smiled coolly. "It's right here, between you, Jack, and Kate."

Note to self: remember this moment when I feel like strangling him later.

Elizabeth stepped forward to stand beside Will. "As is mine."

Gov. Swann's eyes widened. "Elizabeth…" He shook himself and looked around at our guard. "Lower your weapons…for goodness sake, put them down!" The marines hesitated, but slowly obeyed.

Norrington's scowl disappeared and was replaced with a look of complete hopelessness. I almost felt sorry for him. "So this is where your heart…truly lies, then?"

"…it is," Lizzie answered, looking a little guilty. Norrington hesitated, but reluctantly nodded.

I let him wallow in his failure before speaking. "Okay, well we all know Jack won't hang today – _and neither will I_ – so I think I'll take this opportunity to say some good-byes." I looked pointedly at Norrington. "Dude…chill. Seriously, you can't be this obsessive about everything. There are just some things in life you just can't change." I thought for a moment. "Don't hold grudges!" I turned to Elizabeth. "Elizabeth…when we started out on this adventure, I hated you. But that's different, now. Now I just strongly dislike you." Her mouth opened slightly in indignation, and I laughed. "Only kidding! Ha, ha, ha…but seriously, I really enjoyed the whole bonding thing on the island. We should do it again sometime – you know, when we're not running for our lives. Good luck, Elizabeth, you're gonna need it."

She smiled. "Thank you, Kate."

"No problem." I turned to Will and smiled warmly. "Well, _that_ was a nice change of pace!" He returned the smile. "Listen, I know you still have this thing against pirates, but I want you know that I…I think things would've been a lot harder for me if I didn't have someone to learn those things with. Thanks for being there, Will, and I hope you and Elizabeth are happy."

"Thank you. You taught me a lot; I can't ever repay you for that."

"Already did, mate. Already did. Jack, you wanna add anything?"

For a moment, Jack was silent; he was too busy staring at Cotton's parrot taking flight off one of the cannons. He quickly recovered, though, and strolled over to Governor Swann, who recoiled at his breath. "Well! I'm actually feeling rather good about this! I think we've all arrived at a very special place, eh? Spiritually…ecumenically…grammatically…" He left the Governor and turned to Norrington. "I want you to know that I was rooting for _you_, mate. Know that." Norrington rolled his eyes. Jack went to Lizzie next, a serious look in his eye. "Elizabeth…it would never have worked between us, darlin'…I'm sorry."

"Yeah, that's great. Can we move it along here before somebody gets hurt?" I snapped, fingering the hilt of my sword.

Jack made a noise that sounded quite a bit like a squeak and stepped several paces back. "Will…nice hat!" Will smiled in response. Jack nodded at me, and together we jumped up onto the ledge, the marines beginning to surround us once again. "Friends!" Jack announced, spreading out his arms wide. "This is the day that you will always remember as the day that –" Jack suddenly lost his balance and tumbled off the ledge. All the marines, Norrington, Will, and Lizzie rushed forward.

"Oh, my God," I groaned, passing a hand over my eyes.

"Honestly, Cooper…what do you _see _in him?" Norrington grumbled, watching as Jack hit the water.

"…I'll get back to you on that. As for right now, I should probably finish this up." I cleared my throat. "This will be the day that you will always remember as they day you _almost _caught Captain Jack Sparrow, and his partner in piracy, Kate Cooper! And that's all she wrote! So long, people! BANZAI!" I leapt off the ledge and dove into the water, grinning wide.

I resurfaced quickly, laughing. "So, how was that?"

Jack beamed and hugged me. "Couldn't have said it any better myself, luv." He thought for a moment. "Well, alright, maybe just a little."

I rolled my eyes. "You think you're better than me, don't you?"

"Well, I…the thing is…ah…oh, look it's the _Pearl_! Let's swim for it!" With a splash, he was off.

"…you are one lucky pirate, Sparrow."

* * *

We met up with the _Pearl _about halfway across the bay. Gibbs, Ana, Marty, Cotton…everyone was there, ready to meet us. I was so glad to see them, I couldn't possibly be angry at them.

Cotton tossed us down a rope, and Jack grabbed onto it gratefully. "Hold tight, luv," he whispered in my ear, wrapping his free arm around my waist. I barely had time to grab onto him before we were launched into the air, spraying a trail of salt water behind us.

We landed clumsily on the deck, dripping wet but happy. Gibbs and the others matched our smiles. "Hey, guys," I greeted. "Didn't think we'd ever see you folks again!" The smiles morphed into guilty grimaces.

"Thought you were supposed to keep to the Code," Jack accused jokingly.

"We figured they were more actual…_guidelines_," Gibbs explained. He helped Jack to his feet, and then held out a hand to me. I straightened up and watched as Cotton handed Jack his much-missed hat.

"Thank you," Jack said to him, placing the hat on his head once more. Cotton looked embarrassed.

"Captain Sparrow," a voice suddenly said. Ana moved from her spot by the helm and slid Jack's coat over his shoulders. My smile suddenly became much more forced. "The _Black Pearl_ is yours." All eyes were on Jack as he approached the wheel. He slowly ran his hand across the faded wood, a strange look in his eye. I felt a lump come to my throat yet again, but a good one this time. _He's got it…I can't believe we came this far and got it back…_

_You apparently don't know the movie as well as you think you do._

Jack's expression suddenly hardened. "On deck, you scabrous dogs! Hands to braces! Let down and haul to run free!"

"Aye, Captain!" we answered, and the crew moved to their places.

I started to go after them, but Jack's voice stopped me. "Not you, Katie, get back over here." He held out one arm, and I let him wrap it around me. Jack sighed softly. "This is a nice surprise, eh?"

"Maybe a surprise for you," I pointed out.

"Bloody coin," Jack grumbled. He was silent for a long time. "I suppose you're still wondering why I told those two to convince Norrington to spare you."

I had forgotten all about it until now, but nodded. "I am…why?"

Jack gently kissed the top of my head. "I didn't want you to die," he answered simply. "I figured I owed you that much, seeing as I couldn't have gotten that far without you."

I blinked. "Yeah, you could."

Jack looked straight at me, his eyes slightly misty. "No…I couldn't." He let those words hang for a moment before pressing his lips hungrily against mine. I returned the kiss, a sense of belonging flowing through me.

_Uh, Kate?_

_Go away._

I'm_ not going anywhere, Kate…well, I kind of am…but so are you._

I pulled myself away from Jack. "What?"

"What?" Jack echoed, brow furrowed in confusion.

_You gotta go home, Kate._

"But I _am _home!" I protested, feeling tears well up in my eyes.

_You have to go back to the future._

"No…no, I'm staying!"

"'Course you're staying, luv," Jack interrupted, looking more confused than ever.

"No, Jack, I…the voice, it says…Jack, I can't stay here. It says I have to go home!"

Jack's eyes widened. "What?" Even before the word was completely out of his mouth, my medallion began glowing again.

"No!" I screamed, panic ripping through any common sense. "No, I'm staying! I have to stay!"

_There's nothing I can do, Kate. It's just…it's just time._

"No…"

Jack pulled me into a tight embrace. "You can't go, Kate," he whispered, a single tear sliding down his cheek. "Not yet. Don't leave me yet, luv. Not after everything…"

I leaned against his chest, truly crying now. "…I'm sorry, Jack…"

I felt that lightning-bolt sensation yet again, and I thought I heard Jack scream my name one more time before sinking into the darkness.

* * *

_RIIIIIIIIIIING!_

I groaned softly, reached my arm out from under the covers, and switched off the alarm. I opened my eyes and looked around. I was back in my bed, and the medallion was right where I'd left it – on my nightstand. Sunlight streamed through the tiny window. It was like nothing had happened.

_I…made it back…hey, Inner Voice, you there?_

Silence.

_Hello?_

No answer.

_HELLO?!?!_

Still nothing.

I sighed quietly and buried my head in my hands. "It was a dream…it was just a dream." I sat there for a moment, trying not to cry, before getting slowly out of bed and walking to my closet. _It just seemed so real…_I sighed again and opened the door…only to gasp in alarm at what I saw.

Lying on the floor of my closet was a long, silver-hilted sword in a black sheath. _My _sword.

I stared at it for a long moment, expecting it to disappear. After about two minutes and it was still there, I bent over and picked it up. It felt cool and welcoming to the touch. I turned it over and spotted a note tucked into the sheath. Feeling like I was still in a dream, I pulled the note out, unfolded it, and began to read:

**Your journey has only just begun.**

* * *

March 1st, 2008…

_"It's finally time__!"_

A day of reckoning…

_"I can't believe he'd do this, after all we've been through…"_

A day of hope…

_"We're going to find that chest."_

A day of fear…

_"Yer a marked man, Jack Sparrow."_

A day of courage…

_"You know I'd do anything to save Elizabeth."_

And a day…of the Dead Man's Chest.

_"Jack must find his place in the new world, or perish."_

_"All ya knew was not as it should have been."_

_"I AM the sea!"_

_"I was nothing more than an almost-innocent bystander."_

_"I'm never leaving you again."_

_"I'm here to find the man I love."_

_"This wasn't supposed to happen!"_

_"I've got a jar o' dirt!"_

_"It's time, child…"_

Pirates of the Caribbean: What's Dearest to a Man's Heart

Coming March 1st to a computer near you.


End file.
